8 of the Most Wanted Criminals in Philippine History

Tune in to the news and you will surely hear about a crime committed just that morning. Depressing as it is, criminal acts are a part of life no matter where you are in the world, and living in a third world country doesn’t exactly help matters. While criminal acts can range from the atrocious to the petty, some people really take the cake. Notorious and infamous, some people live on as legends, even their names serving as menaces to society, and they can take all shapes and forms.

8. ALVIN FLORES



Alvin was the leader of the “Alvin Flores” gang. His criminal activities began when he joined the Alex Boncayao Brigade in Malabon during the 1980s. He became a car thief for the gang. Soon after, he decided to start his own, one that would gradually become notorious for robbing people in broad daylight while dressed in police uniforms. The last crime he committed was the gunpoint robbery at a Rolex shop in Greenbelt 5 in 2009. The media turned the incident into nationwide breaking news. A few weeks later, Alvin Flores was gunned down by the NBI during an operation to capture him.

7. RUBEN ECLEO JR.



Ruben Ecleo Jr. is the son of the founder of PBMA, one of the biggest religion sects in the country. He ran for government office and was able to land a seat in the House of Representatives, representing Dinagat Island. Soon after landing his position, Ruben Ecleo was charged with the murder of his wife, Glenda Buray Ecleo. He was also in question for the subsequent murders of her family. He remains at large to this day, but not without consequence as 23 of his men were killed in a shoot-out with the police in his mansion on Dinagat Island.

6. MARVIN "SHY BOY" MERCADO



Marvin Mercado was the founder of one of the most notorious gangs to come out of LA, the Asian Boyz. The Asian Boyz were known for robbing and killing people just for kicks. He was guilty for the murder of 8 people in 1995 in LA. Marvin fled to the Philippines where he married a woman and tried to stay under the radar. Law enforcement finally captured Marvin in 2007 and had him deported back to the US. He was given 8 consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.

5. MARIO AND JOEL REYES



Brothers Joel and Mario Reyes were influential political figures in Palawan—Joel Reyes was former governor, and Mario, mayor. They were in the January 2011 murder of radio broadcaster Gerry Ortega. Ortega also happened to be an environmental activist campaigning against mining in Palawan.

The brothers fled the country and hid in Vietnam before transferring to Thailand. They used false names for four years. And then in February 2015, the Embassy of the Philippines received a letter confirming the entry of the brothers in Thai soil from the Royal Embassy of Thailand.

By September 17, through an anonymous email stating the location of the brothers, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group tracked the brother in Phuket’s Rawai area. Three days later, they were arrested by the Interpol and the Thai Police.

The Reyeses were deported to the Philippines shortly after. They are currently detained in Puerto Princesa City Jail, the case pre-trial conference is set to start on Thursday, December 3, 2015.

4. DOMINGO COMPOC



Not much is known about Domingo Compoc. Authorities say that Domingo is the leader of the communist rebels and has been orchestrating murders in the area of Bohol. He is still at large, and the bounty on his head is P2.6 million, dead or alive.

3. MARCIAL "BABY AMA" PEREZ



Marcial Ama was the founder of the notorious Sige Sige gang. He was arrested for stealing money from a friend and placed in Bilibid as a young teenager. Rumors say that Marcial lashed out when he found out that a prison guard had raped his wife. He was responsible for the biggest riot in Bilibid’s history, which caused the deaths of several inmates including one that was beheaded. He was sentenced to die in the electric chair due to his actions inside Bilibid. He was only 17 years old.

2. LEONARDO "NARDONG PUTIK" MANECIO



Nardong Putik was one of the most notorious gangsters in the Philippines and definitely the most notorious in the History of Cavite. He was involved in many crimes ranging from murder, robberies, resisting arrest, and kidnapping. He was known for being able to avoid capture on many occasions due to his street smarts and ability to think on his feet. He became infamous after being cited as one of those involved in the Maragondon massacre in 1952, which claimed the lives of the then-mayor and the police chief. Nardong Putik met his demise when a three day chase with the police ended in a shootout.

1. ASIONG SALONGA



There have been many films depicting the life of Asiong Salonga, and with good reason. Asiong Salonga was considered a Robin Hood figure to his neighbors in the tough area of Tondo. He was involved in many crimes but always managed to evade justice. He had many enemies in rival gangs and the police branded him as “Tondo’s Public Enemy No. 1.”

He continued his uprising and even got the title of “Kingpin of Manila.” The number of enemies he made ultimately led to his demise as Asiong was killed during a drinking spree in his neighborhood. A gunman, believed to be hired by a rival gang, shot Asiong in the head.