A 38-year-old murder suspect with a standing arrest warrant and has allegedly been hiding in Mindanao for a year, was recently captured by sea marshals on board a passenger vessel as it was traveling to Manila.
Philippine Coast Guard commandant Wilfredo Tamayo reported the four sea marshals who were on board the M/V Our Lady of Good Voyage, a vessel owned and operated by Aboitiz Transport System, arrested Masif “Pakpak” Papandayan.
In a statement, the PCG said that Papandayan, a native of Tuburan, Lanao del Norte was arrested by a team of sea marshals composed of PCG Chief Petty Officer 1 Recardo Rejuso, PCG Petty Officer 1 Rolando Ramirez, Sergeant Roderick Mejias of the Philippine Army, and seaman Rey Crampatana of the Philippine Navy.
Commodore Edmund Tan, Task Force Sea Marshal, reportedly received information that Papandayan was the subject of a warrant of arrest issued by Branch 90 of the Regional Trial Court in Dasmariñas, Cavite and was on board the ship.
Initial investigation showed that the suspect boarded the ship when it docked in Iligan Province and that he was on his way to Manila. After they positively identified him, the sea marshals apprehended him Friday at 4 a.m., three hours before the ship reached Pier 15 in Manila.
He was immediately turned over to Senior Police Officer 2 Marcelino Perez, who is assigned with the Cavite Special Operations Group (SOG) in Camp Pantallon Garcia, Imus, Cavite. – Evelyn Macairan