A man wanted for rape was arrested after more than a decade in hiding when he applied for an NBI clearance, according to the National Bureau of Investigation.
Authorities said the suspect was flagged during a routine verification process after his information matched records in the agency’s database.
According to the NBI, further investigation confirmed that the applicant had an active warrant of arrest issued by a regional trial court in Rizal province.
“The details matched an existing warrant of arrest — including the name, criminal case number, offense, and address,” the NBI said.
The warrant, issued by a court in Morong, Rizal, reportedly carried a “wanted” remark and remained active and non-bailable.
When confronted by investigators, the suspect admitted that he was aware of the case but believed it had already been settled.
Authorities later confirmed that the warrant was still valid.
The NBI said the suspect had been evading arrest for 13 years before being apprehended.
“Labing tatlong taon na nagtatago ito,” authorities said.
[Translation: He had been hiding for 13 years.]
The agency said the arrest demonstrated the effectiveness of its upgraded records and verification systems, which help identify individuals with pending criminal cases during NBI clearance applications.
Authorities added that coordination with courts and internal records divisions allows the bureau to verify active warrants and immediately implement arrests when necessary.
