House urges probe on R35-M bounty as witnesses claim not getting reward
Leaders of the House of Representatives want the Philippine National Police to fully account for the R35 million that President Duterte and members of the 17th Congress raised for the arrest and prosecution of the mastermind and killers of Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Rodel Batocabe.
Minority Leader Bienvenido Abante Jr. (Independent, Manila) has filed a resolution calling on the Lower House to exercise its oversight function and conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation on the disbursement of the reward money intended for witnesses for the prosecution.
On the other hand, Anakalusugan Partylist Rep. Michael Defensor, newlyelected chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, said the House panel supports Abante in filing House Resolution 384 and will immediately call PNP officials and personnel involved in handing over the reward money.
Abante said the fund was earlier turned over to the Philippine National Police for “safekeeping and disbursement to qualified witnesses.”
But he cited “disturbing information that several witnesses have not received their share in the bounty and are now in fear for lack of financial capacity to secure themselves and their families against bodily harm.”
“Witnesses have already expressed their reluctance to testify for alleged failure to deliver the bounties which were promised to them,” he stated in filing HR 384.
The resolution was filed shortly after Albay Regional Trial Court Judge Maria Theresa Loquillano granted bail for former Daraga City Mayor Carlwin Baldo who has been accused of double murder and serious physical injuries for allegedly ordering the execution of Batocabe.
Batocabe and his police bodyguard Orlando Diaz were shot to death as they were about to leave a gift-giving event in Barangay Burgos, Daraga City on December 22, 2018.
Batocabe was then preparing to challenge Baldo for the mayoralty post in Daraga City.
Witnesses, including the alleged gunman Alfred Yuson, have tagged Baldo as the mastermind of the Batocabe execution.
The former local official was arrested sometime January 2019 but was recently freed from detention after posting a cash bail of R6 million or P8 million in surety or property bond for a supposedly nonbailable charges against him.
The R35 million bounty was turned over to the PNP shortly after they arrested Baldo and his alleged cohorts last year.
The reward money was raised by Duterte who contributed P20 million, members of the 17th Congress under then Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who collected R13 million and the provincial government of Albay, R2 million.
Ako Bicol Partylist allocated R15 million not as bounty for informants who will lead investigators to the culprits but as money for prosecution expenses and security of key witnesses.