CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga — The Police Regional Office 3 (PRO3) recorded 1,503 arrests of wanted persons in October 2026, its highest monthly total in the regional office’s history and the highest among police regional offices nationwide for the same period.

Of the total arrests, 1,262 involved Other Wanted Persons (OWPs), while 241 were classified as Most Wanted Persons (MWPs).

Bulacan recorded the highest number of arrests with 327, followed by Pampanga with 270, Nueva Ecija with 247, Tarlac with 197, Bataan with 164, Zambales with 101, Angeles City with 88, Aurora with 59, and Olongapo City with 50.

PRO3 Director Police Brig. Gen. Jess B. Mendez attributed the accomplishment to the sustained implementation of the Own the Project (OTP) approach, which holds police commanders directly accountable for locating and arresting wanted persons within their respective areas of responsibility.

Mendez emphasized that the campaign goes beyond increasing arrest figures, saying its primary objective is to reduce the number of wanted persons remaining at large and ensure that court-issued warrants are served.

He noted that monthly arrest figures may eventually decline as more outstanding warrants are served and the backlog of wanted persons is reduced.

According to PRO3, the intensified implementation of the OTP approach began in August, resulting in the continued accounting of thousands of wanted persons across Central Luzon.

Mendez directed police commanders to sustain operations against remaining fugitives and strengthen inter-jurisdictional coordination to ensure that outstanding warrants are acted upon.

The October accomplishment forms part of PRO3’s continuing efforts to reduce the backlog of unserved warrants and bring wanted individuals before the courts. (Jason de Asis)