Duterte eyes bounty for Jolo church bombers — Lorenzana

Policemen and soldiers stand outside the bomb-hit church in Jolo, Sulu province on the southern island of Mindanao, on January 27, 2019. – At least 18 people were killed when two bombs hit a church on a southern Philippine island that is a stronghold of Islamist militants, the military said on January 27, days after voters backed the creation of a new Muslim autonomous region. (Photo by NICKEE BUTLANGAN / AFP)

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte is planning to put up a cash reward for the arrest of suspects in the deadly double explosions at a Jolo cathedral in Sulu last Sunday, which killed 21 people and injured at least a hundred.

“Merong balak magbigay ng pabuya ang Presidente, sabi niya kahapon, magbibigay siya ng cash reward sa mga taong makakapagbigay ng impormasyon, kung papano mahuli o ma-neutralize itong mga taong ito,” Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in an interview on DZRH on Tuesday.

(The President said yesterday that he is planning to give a cash reward to anyone who could share relevant information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects.)

Lorenzana could not immediately say the exact amount, however: “Siguro within a couple of days lalabas na ‘yung exact amount.”

(Maybe in a couple of days we’ll know the exact amount.)

The first bomb went off inside the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Cathedral during Mass, and moments later followed by a second blast outside as government troops rushed to respond to the scene.

Duterte has ordered the military and police to annihilate “by whatever means” the Abu Sayyaf Group, the primary suspect in the twin blasts.

But ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the military said it could be propaganda even if they are not dismissing the claim.

Lorenzana said they would step up their operations further after the incident, hoping that residents would cooperate to find the suspects.

“Hopefully we can get the people to cooperate with us to finally identify these people, who are they, kasi although meron tayong mga impormasyon sino sila ay napakahirap silang hanapin dahil nga wala tayong impormasyon sa loob,” he said.

(Hopefully, we can get the people to cooperate with us to finally identify these people. While he has leads on the suspects, it’s hard to trace them because it’s difficult to obtain inside information.)

“Napakahirap maglagay ng mga intelligence operative dyan dahil kung hindi nila kilala ‘yung tao ay hindi sila magbibigay ng impormasyon,” he added.

(It’s difficult to place an intelligence operative because the people won’t give any information to people they are not familiar with). /kga