A 25-year-old man, identified only as “MJ,” was arrested Sunday in Masbate by police operatives from the Northern Police District’s (NPD-DSOU) District Special Operations Unit. He is accused of raping his brother’s stepdaughter.

MJ, a tricycle driver and a native of Mobo, Masbate, was also tagged as the seventh most wanted individual at the district level for June 2025.

According to Police Staff Sgt. Honeybelle Data of NPD-DSOU, the suspect had an outstanding warrant for rape issued in December 2021.

The alleged rape occurred around 2020, when the victim was 13 years old. Data disclosed that the suspect “hugged her, asked her to be silent, and removed her clothes” while she was lying on her bed.

MJ’s arrest was a result of a joint operation by the NPD-DSOU Tracker Team, local police, and the Intelligence Team of Masbate PNP.

Reports added that police surveillance of the suspect lasted at least two months.

“We had information about the suspect through his social media because he didn’t change his name there; we also monitored him through his posts and stories,” Data said.

As of Monday, MJ and the police operatives remained in Masbate and were preparing for transport to Manila. He will face a non-bailable rape charge.