Sara: No court case, no P3M bounty
THE LOCAL government is not releasing the P3 million bounty to the tipster/s whose information led to the arrest of the three suspects in the deadly Sept. 2 Roxas night market bombing until the City Prosecution Office files the case in the court.
The City Legal Office (CLO) has ruled that charges should be filed in court first against the arrested suspects before any reward will be given.
Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, sustaining the guideline set by the City Legal Office, said they will “consider giving out the reward” once prosecutors find probable cause against the arrested suspects.
“Until now there is still no case filed in the court against the suspects so we can’t give the reward yet,” Duterte said. “So we have to wait for the ruling of the Prosecution Office.”
The city government has offered a P3 million bounty for any information that could led to the arrest of the suspects in the bombing that killed 15 persons and injured 69 others.
The money – P2 million from the city and P1 million from private individuals — will go to the tipsters and the unit that made the arrest.
The prosecution office is seeking more time to resolve the case as police investigators filed more affidavits on the case.
Police arrested TJ Tagadaya Makabalang, Wendel Apostol Facturan, and Musalli Mustapha in Cotabato last Oct. 4.
The prosecutor panel handling the case reportedly received the additional charges and supplemental affidavit on Oct. 14, as they are about to wrap the investigation of the case.
The prosecution office initially set to release its resolution of the case in the second week of October. But with the additional respondents and affidavits, they are seeking time extension.
Mayor Duterte said she is still waiting for a report from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) unit whose operation led to the arrest of the three suspects.
She said the recipient of the reward will be up to the AFP’s recommendations, including possibly the tipster from Cotabato who gave the information that led to the arrest of the suspects.
When asked whether she considered the incident “closed,” Duterte said there are still much to figure out, especially since the other suspects are still at large. The mayor said she doesn’t believe that the bombing was only done by three persons.
Police initially filed charges of multiple murder and multiple frustrated murder against nine persons – six males and three females – in connection with the bombing.
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