Quick answer

You may report a person’s location or movements to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) if you have reliable information that the person is subject to an active warrant of arrest, has escaped from custody, or is being lawfully sought in connection with a criminal investigation.

For a non-emergency report, contact the NBI hotline at (02) 8523-8231, visit the NBI Main Office at Filinvest Cyberzone Bay, Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard, Pasay City, or approach the nearest NBI regional or district office. The NBI’s current directory also lists cad@nbi.gov.ph for its Complaints and Assessment Division. Ask for acknowledgment or a reference number, especially when reporting by email.

If the person is present and may be armed, violent, holding someone, committing a crime, or likely to flee immediately, move to safety and call the Philippines’ free, 24-hour Unified 911 Emergency Hotline. Do not confront, follow, warn, restrain, or try to arrest the person yourself.

Being “accused” is not the same as being “wanted.” A person may have a pending criminal case but no warrant, or may be lawfully out on bail. Give the NBI the facts and documents you have; let the agency and the issuing court verify whether an arrest may legally be made.

First determine what you are reporting

An active warrant or an escapee

A warrant of arrest is issued by a judge upon a personal determination of probable cause. If you have a copy, photograph, court notice, official wanted poster, or case details, give these to the NBI together with the person’s current location.

An arrest warrant does not expire merely because the officer initially assigned to execute it must report to the court within ten days. Under Section 4 of Rule 113, that ten-day period concerns execution and reporting by the officer. The Supreme Court has held that, unlike a search warrant, an arrest warrant remains effective until the arrest is made or the warrant is lifted by the court. See Manangan v. Court of First Instance, G.R. No. 82760.

A person who escaped from prison, temporary detention, or custody while a criminal case was pending may also be arrested without a new warrant under Section 5(c), Rule 113.

A person with a pending criminal case

Do not assume that every respondent or accused may be arrested. Depending on the case, the person may:

Have no warrant because the court has not issued one;
Have posted bail;
Be subject only to a summons or another court process;
Have had the warrant recalled, quashed, or lifted;
Share a name with the actual accused; or
Have already appeared or surrendered in the case.

Report the information, but describe the person accurately as an “accused” or “respondent” unless an official source confirms an active warrant. Every accused remains presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.

A person you believe committed a crime, but no case exists yet

This is generally a request for investigation or a formal criminal complaint—not simply a wanted-person tip. The NBI may interview you, take a sworn statement, examine your evidence, determine whether the matter falls within its jurisdiction, or refer it to the appropriate police unit or prosecutor.

The NBI’s official filing guidance says that Manila complainants may personally submit a sworn complaint through its complaints intake process. Walk-in complainants in regional and district offices may approach the Chief Agent or other authorized personnel. If personal appearance is not possible, a written complaint addressed to the NBI Director may be submitted. Call first to confirm the current receiving procedure.

How to make the report

1. Put safety first

If you can see the person now, do not get closer simply to obtain a better photograph or exact address. From a safe place, tell the NBI, 911, or local police:

Where the person is;
When you last saw the person;
Whether the person is moving and in what direction;
Any vehicle description and plate number you could lawfully observe;
Whether children, hostages, victims, or bystanders are present; and
Whether you personally saw a weapon or only heard that the person might be armed.

Clearly separate what you personally observed from what someone else told you.

2. Verify as much as you safely can

Useful identifiers include:

Complete name and known aliases;
Recent photograph from a lawful source;
Date of birth or approximate age;
Physical description and distinguishing marks;
Case number;
Offense charged;
Court and branch that issued the warrant;
Date of the warrant;
Issuing or requesting law-enforcement agency; and
A link, screenshot, or copy of the official notice.

Do not delay an urgent report merely because some details are missing. Tell the receiving officer which facts are uncertain.

3. Provide precise, current location information

A usable location report is more specific than “somewhere in Quezon City.” If safely known, include:

Building, street, barangay, city, and nearby landmark;
Unit, room, floor, or business name;
Date and exact or approximate time last seen;
Regular schedule or expected departure time;
Vehicle type, color, plate number, and direction of travel; and
How you obtained the information.

Do not trespass, hack an account, impersonate another person, place an unauthorized tracker, or pressure someone to disclose protected information.

4. Choose an official reporting channel

For a non-emergency report, you may:

Call the NBI hotline: (02) 8523-8231;
Visit the NBI Main Office, Filinvest Cyberzone Bay, Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard, Pasay City;
Visit the nearest NBI regional or district office;
Email the current Complaints and Assessment Division contact listed in the NBI divisions directory: cad@nbi.gov.ph; or
Submit a written complaint addressed to the NBI Director, following the NBI’s current receiving instructions.

For immediate danger or a crime in progress, call 911 or the nearest police station. The NBI hotline should not be treated as a substitute for emergency dispatch.

Use only official nbi.gov.ph pages and government contact details. Be cautious of social-media accounts, unofficial forms, people demanding payment, or anyone claiming that a fee will guarantee an arrest. The NBI states that its investigative assistance to the public is free.

5. Be clear about what you want the NBI to do

A concise opening may be:

I am reporting the present whereabouts of a person who may have an active warrant. The case number is ___, the issuing court is ___, and I last personally saw the person at ___ on ___ at ___. I have attached the official notice and unedited supporting files. Please verify the warrant and refer this information to the proper operating unit.

If no warrant is known, say so. Do not present suspicion as a confirmed judicial finding.

6. Record the submission

Keep:

The date and time of your call, visit, or email;
The office or unit contacted;
The name or identifying details of the receiving officer, if provided;
Any complaint, control, acknowledgment, or reference number;
A copy of what you submitted; and
Notes of any follow-up instruction.

Email delivery alone does not necessarily prove that a formal complaint was docketed or assigned. Request acknowledgment and follow up through the official hotline or office.

Evidence to preserve

Keep the original form of any relevant evidence, including:

Original photographs, video, CCTV footage, or audio;
Complete messages or email threads rather than selected excerpts;
Screenshots showing the account, URL, date, and time;
Original files with metadata intact;
Official court documents or wanted notices;
Receipts, travel information, vehicle records, or address records lawfully available to you; and
A short timeline identifying what happened, when, where, and who witnessed it.

Do not crop, enhance, annotate, rename, or repeatedly forward the only copy of a digital file. Make a working copy and retain the original. Note who obtained or handled each important file and when. Do not publish evidence online; public posting can alert the person, expose victims or witnesses, spread a mistaken identity, or compromise an operation.

If the information came from another person, identify the source to the NBI if it is safe and lawful to do so. Do not falsely claim first-hand knowledge.

What the NBI may do after receiving the report

The NBI may verify the person’s identity, the court case, and the status of the warrant; assess the reliability and freshness of the location information; coordinate with the issuing court, the Philippine National Police, another NBI office, or another government agency; conduct lawful surveillance; or request a formal sworn statement.

An arrest is not automatic. Under the NBI Reorganization and Modernization Act, NBI agents may investigate, search, arrest, and seize only in accordance with existing laws and rules.

As a general rule, an arrest requires a valid judicial warrant. Section 5 of Rule 113 of the Rules of Criminal Procedure permits warrantless arrest only when:

In the arresting person’s presence, the suspect has committed, is committing, or is attempting to commit an offense;
An offense has just been committed and the arresting person has probable cause, based on personal knowledge of facts or circumstances, to believe the suspect committed it; or
The person is an escaped prisoner or detainee.

A tip can help investigators locate and verify a person, but a tip by itself does not automatically create grounds for a warrantless arrest or intrusive search. The Supreme Court has repeatedly required lawful, independent circumstances beyond a bare or anonymous tip. See People v. Asis, G.R. No. 244045 and Veridiano v. People, G.R. No. 200370.

Do not attempt a citizen’s arrest

Rule 113 technically permits a private person to make an arrest in the same limited warrantless-arrest situations. That does not make a citizen’s arrest the safe or appropriate response to an NBI wanted-person report.

A mistaken arrest can cause injury and expose the private person to criminal or civil consequences. You may also interfere with surveillance or place victims and officers at risk. Unless immediate action is genuinely necessary to prevent imminent harm, observe from safety and call trained authorities.

Do not:

Threaten, tackle, handcuff, transport, or detain the person;
Enter a home or private premises;
Display or use a weapon;
Pretend to be an NBI agent or police officer;
Tell the person that authorities are coming;
Ask friends or barangay personnel to surround the location without police coordination; or
Post a “wanted” accusation publicly to pressure the person.

Truthfulness, obstruction, and mistaken identity

Give information honestly and in good faith. Presidential Decree No. 1829 penalizes specified acts that knowingly or willfully obstruct or delay apprehension or investigation. These include harboring or concealing an offender, facilitating escape, obstructing service of court process, destroying or concealing evidence, and giving false or fabricated information intended to mislead investigators or prevent apprehension. See Presidential Decree No. 1829.

Do not hide the person, provide transportation or money for escape, create an alibi, delete evidence, warn the person of an operation, or deliberately send agents to a false location. Whether particular conduct amounts to obstruction depends on the act, knowledge, intent, and surrounding facts.

A report made maliciously or with knowingly false claims may also create liability under other criminal or civil laws. If you are uncertain, say “I cannot confirm” or “this information came from ___” instead of guessing.

Confidentiality and personal safety

Do not assume that a report will remain anonymous. An initial tip may sometimes be handled confidentially, but a formal complainant or material witness may need to identify themselves, give a sworn statement, authenticate evidence, or testify. Records may also become subject to lawful court or prosecutorial processes.

If disclosure could endanger you or your family:

Tell the receiving officer about the threat before giving unnecessary personal details;
Ask how your identity and contact information will be recorded and shared;
Request a safe method and time for follow-up;
Preserve threats, surveillance, or retaliation directed at you; and
Seek immediate police protection or legal advice if the danger is concrete.

Admission to the government’s Witness Protection, Security and Benefit Program is not automatic. It is governed by Republic Act No. 6981 and requires evaluation by the Department of Justice.

Deadlines and urgent situations

There is no single nationwide deadline for giving the NBI a location tip. Report promptly because information about a person’s location can become stale quickly.

Different considerations apply if you are also trying to initiate a criminal case. Offenses have different prescriptive periods, and special laws may have their own filing rules. Do not rely on the absence of a general tip deadline if the underlying incident happened months or years ago. Consult a prosecutor or lawyer promptly.

Get immediate help through 911 when:

The person is committing or attempting a crime;
Someone is being threatened, restrained, or injured;
The person is armed or reaching for a weapon;
There is an active hostage, domestic-violence, trafficking, kidnapping, or child-safety situation;
The person is about to leave and there is an immediate public-safety risk; or
Following or reporting the person has exposed you to retaliation.

Common mistakes to avoid

Treating every accused person as a fugitive;
Relying on an old social-media poster without checking whether the warrant remains active;
Reporting only a common name without enough identifying details;
Exaggerating the danger to obtain a faster response;
Editing digital evidence or sending only screenshots when originals exist;
Posting the person’s location publicly;
Alerting the person or their companions;
Trying to enter a house or make an arrest;
Paying a fixer or supposed agent;
Sending sensitive information to an unofficial email or social-media account; and
Failing to save proof of the report or obtain a reference number.

Frequently asked questions

Can I report anonymously?

You may ask whether the NBI can receive an initial confidential tip, but do not assume guaranteed anonymity. A formal complaint, sworn statement, evidence authentication, or testimony will ordinarily require identification.

Do I need a copy of the warrant?

Not necessarily. Provide whatever verifiable details you have, particularly the case number, court and branch, offense, date, and source of the information. The NBI must independently verify the warrant.

Will the NBI arrest someone merely because a criminal case was filed?

No. A pending case does not necessarily mean there is an executable warrant. The person may be on bail, subject to summons, or covered by a later court order. Arrest must rest on a valid warrant or one of Rule 113’s narrow warrantless-arrest grounds.

Can I report a relative who is hiding the accused?

Yes. Report the specific conduct and evidence rather than simply accusing the relative of obstruction. Whether assistance to the accused is criminal depends on the person’s knowledge, intent, acts, relationship, and the law that applies.

What if the person is in another province?

Contact the nearest NBI office or the main hotline and give the exact location. The NBI has nationwide jurisdiction and may refer or coordinate the matter with the regional office, PNP, issuing court, or another appropriate agency.

What if the person is abroad?

Give the NBI the country, address, travel details, immigration information, or other lawful evidence you possess. Do not attempt to arrange detention through private contacts. Extradition, deportation, mutual legal assistance, and international police coordination require action by the proper Philippine and foreign authorities.

Should I also notify the issuing court or prosecutor?

That can be appropriate, especially if you are the complainant or a party to the case. Give the court or prosecutor the same factual information and tell them which NBI or police office received it. Court personnel and prosecutors do not replace emergency responders.

Do I need a lawyer?

Not usually for a straightforward location tip. Consider legal assistance if you are filing the underlying criminal complaint, possess sensitive or potentially unlawfully obtained material, face retaliation, may be implicated in helping the person, or need witness-protection advice.

Official references

This article provides general Philippine legal information, not legal advice for a particular case. Warrant status, jurisdiction, safety measures, and liability depend on current official records and specific facts. Sources and official procedures were checked as of July 20, 2026.