Tipster gets reward for arrest of rape suspect

CABARROGUIS, Quirino, Philippines – A tipster here had been rewarded earlier this week of P550,000 for the arrest of one of the country’s topmost wanted persons in January.

Chief Superintendent Roberto Damian, Cagayan Valley police director, formally handed the cash amount Wednesday to the person behind the arrest of Roberto Buenaventura, who had been listed as among the top 20 most wanted in the country.

“We would like to show to the public that we really mean business in (extending) reward to any civilian who is (instrumental) in the capture of wanted persons with prices on their heads,” Damian said. 

Buenaventura, who was finally caught by the long arm of the law at his girlfriend’s house in Moncada, Tarlac on Jan. 29, following almost 10 years of hiding, is facing two counts of statutory rape filed against him before the regional trial court here in 1988.

Damian said that Buenaventura even managed to slip through immigration authorities and eventually spent several years as an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in the Middle East.

“Before going abroad, he also hid in remote Kalinga areas as well as in Pangasinan,” police said.

Buenaventura, also known as Jhun, of Aglipay, Quirino, was listed among the county’s top 20 most wanted by the Department of Interior and Local Government at the time of his arrest. 

By the time a warrant of arrest was issued by Judge Moises Pardon of RTC-Branch 31 here, Buenaventura had already slipped through immigration to work as an OFW in the Middle East.

Before his eventual arrest, Buenaventura was again able to slip immigration personnel at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport amid surveillance and monitoring operations after police learned of his return, which came about when the Saudi Arabian authorities reportedly deported him for alleged misdemeanor.