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AFP tipsters get P14.2-M for info vs. Red terror leaders
Handover of the reward money took place at the Silid Lapu-Lapu, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) General Headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City Friday afternoon.
(Photo courtesy: Radyo Pilipinas 1)
MANILA — A total of PHP14.25 million reward money was given to informants responsible for providing vital information that led to the neutralization of five high-value communist terrorist leaders.
Handover of the reward money took place at the Silid Lapu-Lapu, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) General Headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City Friday afternoon.
AFP chief-of-staff, Gen. Benjamin Madrigal Jr. personally handed the money to the five informants, whose identities were concealed for security reasons.
Through information shared by tipsters, five Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) terrorist leaders were either killed or arrested in law enforcement operations conducted by the AFP in coordination with the Philippine National Police.
One of the communist leaders killed was Victorio Tesorio who had a PHP5-million bounty on his head.
Tesorio is wanted for the crimes of multiple murder and frustrated murder among others, and was Number 12 in the Joint Order Number 14-2012 or the Joint Order on Rewards of the Department of National Defense and Department of Interior and Local Government (DND-DILG).
Another high-value target is Promencio Abaya Cortez with a PHP4.8 million bounty. Cortez was arrested in 2017 for crimes of multiple murder, double frustrated murder, rebellion, and attempted murder.
He is Number 26 in the DND-DILG Joint Order on Rewards.
He was also involved in the burning of two dump trucks of Philex Mining Corporation in Sitio Tapak, Barangay Ampucao, Itogon, Benguet on February 9, 2017.
Also killed in joint AFP-PNP operations was Deomedes Apinado with a PHP2.2 million bounty.
Apinado was wanted for four counts of murder and Number 73 in the most-wanted list and was killed in an encounter in April 2017.
Other CPP-NPA leaders arrested were Mauricio Sagun with a PHP1.7 million bounty and Jaime Soledad with a PHP550,000 reward on his head.
Sagun is wanted for murder while Soledad is wanted for 15 counts of murder.
Monetary rewards are given to any person who furnishes information leading to the surrender, arrest, capture or neutralization of wanted persons for involvement in several grave offenses such as murder, kidnap for ransom, and other heinous crimes.
While the AFP sustains its focused military operations against the communist rebels and other local terrorist groups, it calls for the continuous cooperation of the people as peace, security and the fight against terrorism is a shared responsibility of every Filipino.
“The AFP is grateful for all the informants whose help and cooperation became vital in the neutralization of these criminals who were responsible for heinous and atrocious crimes against our people and the nation,” Madrigal added.
In line with this, the AFP chief said fight against terrorism and the attainment of lasting peace for the country are a shared responsibility of each and every Filipino.
