BAGUIO CITY (February 18, 2025) – Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) finally caught a known big-time drug trafficker, who has been hunted after killing a son of an NBI lawyer-agent here more than two months ago. Using state-of-the-art surveillance equipment, NBI-Pampanga District Office agents with the Bureau’s Technical Intelligence Division and its Ilocos and Cordillera regional offices caught up John Michael Serrano Garcia at Purok Wakas, barangay Mambog, Malocos City in Bulacan 3:50 Monday afternoon.
Garcia, a resident of Dontogan barangay here, had a warrant of arrest for murder and attempted murder from the Regional Trial Court branch 78 in Baguio City in connection with the murder of 29 year old Luke Maraneg, son of NBI Agent Atty. Dickson Maraneg, on November 24, 2024 along Happy Homes, barangay Ferdinand here.
According to the NBI-Pampanga District Office, Garcia’s original target was Gino Manolo Castillo Banta “because of the latter’s past relationship with Garcia’s girlfriend”. Maraneg was with Banta when the shooting occurred.
Garcia who fled into hiding was monitored by an NBI Task Force to had been moving on different locations within Baguio City, Pangasinan and La Union after the shooting. He was finally tracked through technical surveillance from his relative in Malolos City on Valentines Day and physical surveillance operation zeroed on him at his auntie’s house in Purok Wakas, barangay Mambog, Malolos City.