Informant working for both AFP, MILF claiming $1-M Usman bounty

From the Daily Tribune (Jun 29): Informant working for both AFP, MILF claiming $1-M Usman bounty

Somewhat breaking the “script” presented by the Aquino government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) which boasted that it will not allow its members to get the bounty, an informant has applied to claim the more than $1-million reward for the killing of terrorist bomber Basit Usman.

Military sources said the application to claim the $1-million and P1-million rewards offered by the United States and Philippine governments, respectively, is now undergoing assessment.

“An informant has applied to claim the reward for the killing of Basit Usman…the application is now being assessed at the lower level,” one of the sources said.

“Usman’s killing was really a part of an intelligence project by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP),” he added.

A source from the intelligence community supported the first official, stressing “there was really an informant, a civilian informant. ”

“The operation was really an intelligence project,” the second source said.

Asked of the Aquino government and MILF claims that Usman was killed by MILF fighters, the first source replied “that’s the official line.” The claimant was described as a “civilian informant working for the AFP and at the same time the MILF.”

The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) has earlier said the killing of Usman was part of the final push for the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) by the Aquino government and the MILF.

Usman was killed last May 3 in his lair in Maguindanao province.

Initially, the AFP said Usman was killed by MILF fighters in a firefight in the outskirts of Guindulungan town.

But security sources then intimated that Usman’s killing was a part of an intelligence project.

They said a government agent took the opportunity to shoot at Usman and five of his companions while they were hooked on the radio monitoring the boxing match between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather.

But one of Usman’s companions – a minor child of slain Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, escaped.

AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. has his own version of the incident, saying Usman was killed as a result of an internal squabble among his companions for the reward on his head.

According to Catapang, Usman’s group was composed of eight persons and the gun battle resulted in the killing of six – including Usman.

The MILF, however, came out with its own version – following the initial claim of the AFP that Usman was killed in a firefight with its fighters.

According to Ghadzali Jaafar, MILF vice chairman for political affairs, elements of the MILF’s 118th Base Command were escorting Usman to Camp Darapanan in Sultan Kudarat when he became suspicious and shot it out with the MILF fighters.

Jaafar said Usman was with a small group of men during the incident, who dragged him away after the clash.

But a photograph of the slain Usman quickly circulated after he was reported killed in Maguindanao –which made Jaafar’s claims far-fetched as Usman’s men would not spread the photograph of his body.

Jaafar even vowed that the MILF leadership will not allow its members to claim the reward money for Usman.

Usman, former leader of the MILF’s Special Operations Group (SOG), was tagged as one of the most wanted terrorists by both the Philippine and US governments for his involvement in high-profile bombings in southern Philippines during the past years.

He was among the three primary targets of Oplan “Exodus” by the Special Action Force (SAF) last January 25 in Mamasapano, Maguindanao – along with Marwan and fellow Malaysian Amin Baco, alias Jihad. Usman and Baco escaped and became the subjects of military all-out offensives in Central Mindanao.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/informant-working-for-both-afp-milf-claiming-1-m-usman-bounty