Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Monday said it is the US government that should respond to a claim by an American "political consultant" that the $5 million informant's reward for the arrest of Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan should go to him.
De Lima said concerns about the claim made by Marcus Allen Frishman, 56, should be best addressed to the US Embassy in Manila.
"Let the concerned agency or the concerned embassy also respond to that, kasi it pertains to an American citizen. Let them respond to that," said De Lima.
De Lima said it would be "premature and improper" for her to comment on the matter, especially since she has "no knowledge on those things."
Earlier, a report published by The Philippine Star said Frishman flew to Manila last week to claim that he had provided information to the US State Department that enabled authorities to track down Marwan.
Marwan was said to have been killed in the January 25 armed encounter in Mamasapano, Maguindanao where more than 60 people, including 44 elite police commandos, were killed.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation earlier said initial results of the DNA test conducted on a specimen forwarded by Philippine authorities showed that the sample taken supposedly from the finger of Marwan matched that of the suspected terrorist's brother.
As far as the Department of Justice is concerned, De Lima said they consider reward claims, like those of Frishman, as "peripheral matters."
As far as the Department of Justice is concerned, De Lima said they consider reward claims, like those of Frishman, as "peripheral matters."
"Those peripheral matters, such as the reward or yung issues sa reward, mayroon bang reward, sinong nagke-claim, ano yung basis ng reward, etc, I consider them right now as peripheral matters, which at the moment is outside the scope of our investigation," said De Lima.
De Lima said the DOJ probe by a joint task force from the National Bureau of Investigation and the National Prosecution Service is focused on the armed clash itself, and who should be held criminally and administratively liable.
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