AFP hands over P12.1M reward money to NPA, ASG tipsters

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 16): AFP hands over P12.1M reward money to NPA, ASG tipsters



A hooded tipster receives his P5.6 million reward money from the military at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. Photograph by JAIME SINAPIT

Armed Forces of the Philippines Vice Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. John Bonafos on Tuesday handed a total amount of P12.1 million in cash as reward to four informants who supplied key information leading to the arrest of a top communist leader and three members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).

"The valuable information provided by the informants led to the successful arrests," military public affairs chief Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc said.

Part of the reward money was the amount of P5.6 million offered by the government for the arrest of Loida Magpatoc, alias Gwen and Bebyang, who was arrested on July 26, 2013 in Davao del Sur.

Abu bandit Basal Talb Sali also known as 'Gong-Gong Sali' and 'Abu Husni' carry a total of P5.3 million. Two other bandits -- Muktar Ladjaperma and Jailanl Basirul, carry P600,000 in reward.

"She (Magpatoc) was put on the wanted list of criminals for serious offenses such as robbery, double homicide and damage to properties on several occasions. Her group perpetrated violent attacks against peaceful communities and government installations in both South Cotabato and North Cotabato from 2008 to 2010," Cabunoc said.

Cabunoc said Sali was captured during law enforcement operation in Payatas, Quezon City on July 25, 2012, while Ladjaperma was nabbed at Zamboanga City International Airport on June 3, 2013 and Basirul in Zamboanga City on March 15, 2013.

The military's reward system has been strongly questioned by the group Karapatan, which claimed it is "an organized racket" of certain unscrupulous military officials in connection with the case of security guard Rolly Panesa, who was allegedly arrested and tortured by the military into admitting that he was Benjamin Mendoza, supposedly a top leader of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA), only to be declared later by the Court of Appeals (CA) that his case was a mistaken identity.

But, a week or so before Panesa was freed from detention, then military chief of staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista awarded the P5.6 million reward money to a hooded tipster. The military up to this time has remained silent about the issue, especially on the cash given to the tipster.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/101268/afp-hands-over-p12-1m-reward-money-to-npa-asg-tipsters