Duterte raises reward for capture of cop killers to P3-M

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivers his speech during the inauguration of the Candon City Bypass Road in Ilocos Sur on July 25, 2019. ALFRED FRIAS/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA –The bounty for the capture the killers of the four police personnel in Sitio Yamot, Barangay Mabato in Ayungon town, Negros Oriental on July 18 is now at PHP3 million.

President Rodrigo Duterte bared that he raised the reward for the third time during the inauguration of the Candon City Bypass Road in Ilocos Sur on Thursday (July 25).

Duterte earlier offered a PHP1 million reward for the capture of the killers but later bared that he would add PHP300,000 to the bounty.

He said he offered PHP 2 million during in his closed-door meeting with governors and mayors at the Manila Hotel on Tuesday (July 23) night, a day after he delivered his fourth state of the nation address (SONA).

“So the other night I raised the first PHP1 million. Then, the other night I was before the governors and mayors, I said ‘I’m raising it to PHP2 million.’ Now, nandito ako (I’m here), I’m raising it to PHP3 million, dalhin mo lang yung ulo ng p*****ina, okay na sa akin, sabi ko (just bring me the head of that son of a b*tch and it’s okay with me, I said). It will keep on increasing and the pressure that goes with it,” Duterte said in his speech.

The President later quipped that it would keep increasing until PHP20 million and he would ask for the head of just “any leader.”

“Kasi pagkatapos niyan, pag mag-abot ng PHP20 milyones ‘yan, sabihin ko dalhin mo na maski anong ulo, basta lider. (Because after that, if it reaches PHP20 million, I’ll say bring any head, as long as it’s a leader’s, bring it here),” he added.

Duterte, meanwhile, narrated how he was aggrieved by the manner by which the cops were killed by suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA), the Communist Party of the Philippines’ (CPP) armed wing.

The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

“‘Yung pulis na nahuli doon sa — na-hostage nila about seven days ago diyan sa Negros Oriental, binugbog nila, pinaghahampas nila tapos pinatay nila. Sinunog nila parang ISIS. Kaya ako nagalit (The police who were caught there–they were held hostage about seven days ago there in Negros Oriental, they were beaten up, they were being slapped and then killed. They were burned just like how ISIS would do it. That’s why I got angry),” Duterte said.

“Yung pagkamatay ng pulis na pinaghahampas nila, agrabyado ako. So galit ako (The death of the cops wherein they were beat up, it aggrieved me. So I’m angry),” he added.

He said when he used to be mayor of Davao City, he himself would retrieve cops and soldiers held hostage, noting that none of the members of the NPA were hurt.

“Wala naman kaming sinaktan kung ang mag-surrender ang mga NPA, ni isang kurot (We didn’t hurt any NPA surrenderees, not even one pinch). The military does not allow it,” Duterte said.

“I do not allow it because you will just exacerbate the situation. You will just generate hatred. So lahat nang nag-surrender doon, nag-leader sa ano (So all those who surrendered there), they were treated humanely, decently,” he added.