ILOILO — A 31-year-old woman listed as Pototan, Iloilo’s No. 5 most wanted person was arrested in neighboring Barotac Nuevo, marking another successful manhunt operation by police in Iloilo.
The arrest was carried out by operatives of the Pototan Municipal Police Station (MPS), according to the report published by Panay News. The woman had been placed on the municipality’s most-wanted list before police tracked her down in Barotac Nuevo.
The development highlights the continuing efforts of police units in Iloilo to locate individuals with outstanding warrants and bring them before the courts.
Arrest outside Pototan
Although the woman was wanted in connection with a case in Pototan, police located and arrested her in Barotac Nuevo, demonstrating how law-enforcement units continue to coordinate across municipal boundaries when pursuing wanted persons.
The Philippine National Police has continued to conduct warrant operations and manhunt activities throughout Western Visayas, with several wanted individuals arrested in Iloilo in recent months.
Recent operations show that Barotac Nuevo has repeatedly figured in wanted-person arrests. In May 2026, police there arrested a 26-year-old man identified as alias “Pilo,” who was listed as the No. 5 most wanted person at the regional level. He was wanted for two counts of alleged violations of Republic Act 9262, the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004.
In another operation in July, authorities also arrested Iloilo province’s No. 2 most wanted person in Pototan, underscoring the continuing province-wide campaign against wanted personalities.
Part of wider crackdown on wanted persons
The latest arrest comes amid intensified police operations across Western Visayas.
Police Regional Office 6 has reported multiple arrests of wanted individuals through intelligence-driven manhunt operations. In July alone, eight wanted persons, including three most-wanted personalities, were arrested in separate operations across the region.
The arrests are part of a broader effort to serve outstanding warrants and ensure that individuals facing criminal charges are brought before the proper courts.
Importantly, being arrested on a warrant does not mean that an accused person has been found guilty. The charges remain allegations unless and until proven in court.
What happens next?
Following her arrest, the woman is expected to undergo the appropriate legal and custodial procedures, with the case ultimately proceeding through the courts that issued the warrant.
Police have continued to urge the public to cooperate with authorities by providing information that could help locate wanted persons, while emphasizing that arrests must be conducted in accordance with the law.
For residents of Pototan and surrounding municipalities, the arrest sends a clear message: being listed as wanted does not necessarily mean staying out of police reach forever.
And in this case, the trail reportedly led police beyond Pototan — all the way to Barotac Nuev
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