Tipster gets P1M reward

ABU SAYYAF IN BOHOL

The informant who tipped the police of the hideout of the Abu Sayyaf in Clarin, Bohol has received the P1 million reward from President Rodrigo Duterte.

“Yes, as promised by the President,” confirmed Bohol Provincial Police Director Felipe Natividad.

He said the cash reward was channeled through the Armed Forces of the Philippines- Central Command.

It was reportedly Major General Oscar Lactao, AFPCentcom Commander, who turned the reward over to the informant at the People's Mansion in Tagbilaran City yesterday morning.

As reported by the Philippine Star, it was on April 19 that Duterte offered the reward to anyone who could provide authorities information about the whereabouts of the militants.

“I have you P1 million offer per person ako. Tip lang ibigay mo sa pulis pati military. No questions asked. Do not even give your name. Sabi mo lang saan sila at gobyerno na ang bahala,” Duterte has said.

In a press conference, Lactao said the government will protect the identity of the informant.

“It’s classified information… pag-iingatan natin yun, hindi ko pwede sabihin yung identity,” he said.

He added that even before the president announced the reward, the residents in Bohol have been giving tips to the police and military.

“Kahit wala pang reward nung araw (in April 11 sa Inabanga), nagfe-feed na sa atin yung community. Ngayon, I think the reward is just a form of incentive… It’s the civilian who provided the information. Kami, we just act on your information that you (media and citizens) provide… Natutuwa yung mga tao. Lahat concerned talaga,” Natividad said.

As the search for the three rebels continue, Army 302nd Brigade Commander General Arnulfo Matanguihan, said that one of the remaining members of the Abu Sayyaf group might be dead but the information is yet to be verified.

“May mga reports na may namatay…there’s a probability that one of them is dead,” Matanguihan said.

There are also reports that the rebels were spotted in the mountainous barangays of Clarin town and at a bus terminal in Tubigon and Trinidad towns last week but these, too, are yet to be validated.

The remaining rebels, said Police Regional Office-7 Director Noli Taliño, are now “on survival mode” and their force has weakened now that their guide, Joselito Melloria or Abu Alih, and three others, were killed during the armed encounter in Clarin last April 22.

On April 11, at least five rebels, including Maumar Askali or Abu Rami, were killed in a gunfight in Inabanga town located just next to Clarin. Three soldiers and a police officer also died in that encounter.

“We are conducting operations pa rin. We are trying to locate pa rin. Hindi na (sila) makakagawa (ng maling gawain). Mahihina na yun,” Natividad said.

He encouraged residents in Bohol to remain vigilant, albeit saying, “hindi ko sinasabi na meron pa, pero mas gusto ko siguro na mas mag-iingat tayo. Kumbaga maging parte na ng buhay natin na magiingat tayo.”

In Cebu, Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he will no longer give the P100,000 reward to the informant.

He said earlier that he would give the reward if the government would not shell out money.

“If I didn’t announce the reward, it looked like no one would give,” Osmeña said.

He said giving rewards to informants is one way of acknowledging the courage they mustered in giving information to authorities knowing fully that doing so would put their safety and security on the line.