Facebook tag leads to arrest of wanted person

Police were able to track down and arrest on Wednesday a person listed as “most wanted” accused of murder after his friend tagged him in a Facebook post that revealed his location.

Eastern Police District-Special Operations Unit (EPD-DSOU) chief Major Darwin Guerrero said suspect Allan Balbastro was collared in Taysan, Batangas on Wednesday afternoon.

According to Guerrero, the suspect is listed as the No. 1 Most Wanted Person in Mandaluyong City.

He said the arrest of Balbastro came after his friend tagged him in a Facebook post that showed his location in Batangas.

Balbastro’s arrest was made by virtue of an arrest warrant issued by Judge Jaime Fortunato Caringal of the Mandaluyong City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 278 for a case of murder.

Police said Balbastro was tagged in the killing of his neighbor in Barangay Addition Hills in 2017.

Investigation showed that Balbastro was accused of killing his neighbor in retaliation after the latter reportedly mauled the suspect’s brother during a drinking spree.

Citing accounts of witnesses, police said the suspect stabbed the victim in different parts of his body, killing him.

After the incident, police said Balbastro and his brother went into hiding.

In a follow-up operation, Guerrero said the suspect’s brother Laurence was also nabbed in Cavite at around 9 p.m. of the same day.

The arrest, he added, was made after Balbastro revealed to the authorities his brother’s location.

The police official said Laurence was also included in the arrest warrant as an accomplice to the crime.