COTABATO CITY (May 12) — After months of evading arrest, a 45-year-old fugitive wanted in three frustrated murder cases was finally cornered by police Monday in Cotabato City through a joint operation backed by barangay officials and community leaders.
Authorities identified the suspect as Pata Ebrahim Mama, a resident of Galinato Village in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat.
Officials from the Police Regional Office–Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and the Cotabato City Peace and Order Council confirmed that Mama surrendered peacefully after law enforcers tracked him to a hideout along SK Pendatun Avenue in Barangay Poblacion 6.
Police said warrants for his arrest were issued by the Regional Trial Court Branch 19 in Isulan on February 14, 2026, in connection with three frustrated murder charges.
According to Capt. Steffie Salanguit, spokesperson of PRO-BAR, and Cotabato City police director Col. Jibin Bongcayao, the suspect yielded peacefully when operatives arrived to serve the warrants signed by Judge Ferdinand Tugas.
The arrest operation involved personnel from Cotabato City Police Station 1 led by Maj. Teofisto Ferrer Jr., members of the PRO-BAR Regional Mobile Force Battalion 14 under Capt. Khalil Gabriel Reston, and operatives from Police Regional Office 12.
Authorities said the breakthrough was driven largely by community cooperation.
Residents tipped off authorities about the suspect’s presence in the area, while barangay officials and Moro traditional leaders helped police validate information and pinpoint his location.
Bongcayao said the successful arrest highlights the growing role of grassroots coordination in law enforcement operations across Mindanao, particularly in communities where fugitives often rely on local networks and constant movement to evade capture.
Police also noted that coordination with local leaders helped ensure the operation ended peacefully without violence or disruption in the community.
The Cotabato City Police Office thanked barangay officials and Moro elders in Barangay Poblacion 6 for helping authorities track down the suspect, saying stronger community-police cooperation remains critical in sustaining peace and public safety in the Bangsamoro region.
