The Philippine National Police (PNP) has expressed satisfaction with the effort of apprehending some 16,702 persons wanted by the law for alleged criminal offenses for the first half of 2012.
The arrest of these wanted persons form part of the long list of operational accomplishments posted by the PNP during the first six months of 2012.
This and other significant results of police operations during the year are among the highlights of the report to President Aquino by PNP chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome as the PNP celebrates the 111th anniversary of the police service on Friday (Aug. 24).
A summary of PNP operational accomplishments over the six-month period from January through  June 2012 revealed the arrest of 16,702 wanted persons, the surrender of 131 other wanted men and the slay of six others who resisted arrest.
The same report showed 74 of these arrested wanted persons as belonging to the list of Top Most Wanted Persons with rewards offered by authorities for their capture.
Aside from the arrest of these wanted persons, the PNP also neutralized 91 criminal gangs and rounded-up 358 gang members in separate operations that also resulted in the confiscation of 90 assorted firearms.  The PNP filed 137 cases against the arrested criminal gang members.
“The arrest of these wanted persons manifests the keen resolve of the PNP to uphold the rule of law by establishing the certainty of prosecution and punishment of criminal offenders,” PNP spokesman Chief Supt. Generoso Cerbo Jr. said.
According to Cerbo, the PNP recently awarded P4.745-million reward to confidential informants who provided vital information that led to the arrest of 39 Most Wanted Persons listed in the PNP database of persons wanted by the law for mostly heinous criminal offenses.
A total of 80 loose firearms were confiscated from 231 arrested motorcycle-ridingsuspects involved in various streetcrime activities.
To complement the government’s total war against illegal drugs, intensified anti-illegal drugs operations of the PNP in the first six months of 2012 resulted in the confiscation of P1.788-billion worth of illegal drugs in 4,211 separate anti-drug operations across the country.
A total of 547 carnapping cases were recorded from January to June 2012, showing a sharp drop of 25.98 percent from the 739 motor vehicles stolen during the same period six-month in 2011.