Police Regional Office 1 (PRO 1) arrested 49 wanted persons in separate operations across the Ilocos Region from 15 to 21 August 2026, as police intensified efforts to track down fugitives.

Of those arrested, 40 were classified as Other Wanted Persons (OWPs), while nine were Most Wanted Persons (MWPs).

The nine MWPs included five provincial-level, one city-level, and three municipal-level fugitives, according to PRO 1.

The arrests formed part of the implementation of the Enhanced A.L.E.R.T.O. Program, an initiative of PRO 1 Regional Director PBGEN Jovencio S. Badua Jr. that focuses on intelligence-driven and coordinated police operations against wanted persons.

The program strengthens the capability of local police units to locate and apprehend fugitives through intelligence gathering, operational coordination and sustained police efforts.

Badua commended PRO 1 personnel for their work in pursuing wanted individuals but stressed that arrests must be carried out in accordance with the law.