Vhon Tanto, the suspect in the brutal road rage killing of biker Mark Vincent Geralde, had planned to hide in the south by avoiding major terminals and seaports, before his capture on Friday.
Senior Superintendent Joel Napoleon Coronel, Manila Police District director, said an MPD team was on its way to Masbate when they received word of Tanto's capture at around 11:40 a.m.
Coronel said an informant tipped off the Philippine Army about Tanto's whereabouts in a rebel-infested area in Milagros, Masbate.
Elements of the 9th Infantry Division and Masbate police then swooped in to arrest the suspect.
"He was captured...in Milagros. It was an open area, either he was seeking travel again to another destination," Coronel told reporters, adding that the suspect was unarmed.
"There was an indication that he wanted to go to the southern part of the Philippines by land avoiding the major terminals, seaports and other means of transportation."
903rd Infantry Brigade commander Fernando Trinidad also confirmed that a concerned citizen tipped off authorities about Tanto's whereabouts.
"Actually, there was a tip from a concerned citizen that Tanto was there. Actually. before that, the Commanding General of the Philippine Army, Lt. Gen. [Eduardo] Año, he gave directive to all Army units to help the police in apprehending Tanto. So with that, we worked on it and luckily there was -- because with the help also of the media, they recognized Tanto because his face was shown on different TV networks. I think that was the reason why the tipster actually was able to recognize him, and he was able to report to us that they sighted Tanto in the area," he said.
He also pointed out that Tanto did not resist arrest.
"Actually he did not resist arrest... He did not surrender, actually. We arrested him," he said.
A separate statement from the 9th Infantry Division said Tanto aka "Skyton Tonsky" was arrested inside his residence in Barangay Poblacion East, Milagros, Masbate.
The 9th ID said it was the suspect's wife who asked another Army reservist in Bicol to liaison with Army intelligence for Tanto's surrender.
Tanto is the primary suspect in the fatal shooting of a biker in a road rage incident in Quiapo earlier this week.