AFP awards P22M reward to informants

REWARD MONEY. Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence Major General Francisco Cruz awards P7.4-million reward to an informant who helped track down Abu Sayyaf Group leader Ghumbahali Jumdail alias Dr. Abu at the Multipurpose Hall of Intelligence Service at Camp Aguinaldo on Wednesday. The ASG leader was killed in an airstrike in Sulu in February this year. Frances Mangosing/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—The military awarded about  P22-million worth of reward money to informants at the Intelligence Service at Camp Aguinaldo Wednesday following the neutralization of key Abu Sayyaf personalities and communist terrorist leaders.

The tipsters helped the Armed Forces of the Philippines in tracking down one Abu Sayyaf Group leader, one ASG sub-leader, seven ASG members and three communist terrorist leaders.

The neutralized personalities include ASG leader Ghumbahali Jumdail alias Dr Abu, who was killed in an airstrike in Sulu early this year. He was involved in Dos Palmas kidnapping in 2001, and has reported links with the Jemaah Islamiyah.

He carried a P7.4-million bounty.

The other ASG members with rewards were ASG sub-leader Suhud Tanadjalin (killed), with P3.3-million; ASG key member Usman Said alias Kaiser Said (killed), with P1.2-million; and ASG members Imbo Bayani alias Sahibul Jamaani (killed), Harun Jaljalis (killed), Assan/Bin Laden alias Abu Usama (captured), Burrong Rasul Barro alias Abu Mohammad (captured), Rommel Abbas alias Abu Nick (captured), and Samsudin Musa alias Musa (captured) with P350,000 each.

Three members of the New People’s Army were also on the list and they were led by Allan V. Jazmines alias Tomas/Arthur with P5.6-million reward on his head. He was captured in February last year with 13 standing warrants of arrest for 14 cases of murder. The other two, Robertson Anchez alias Stanley/Felimon (killed) and Edgardo Sevilla alias Palong/Diego (captured), have P1.2-million each on their head for multiple cases of murder, robbery in band, and multiple frustrated murder.

The ceremony was presided by Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence Maj. Gen. Francisco N. Cruz Jr. and was accompanied by the Commanding General of the AFP Civil Relations Service, Maj. Gen. Rolando B. Tenefrancia.

The reward system for wanted ASG leaders and members was activated on June 12, 2001, while the reward system for wanted insurgents was activated on June 30, 2006. Cohorts and other terrorist personalities were then included in the reward system in October 2007.

The reward system is an encouragement to community members to participate in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism activities by providing relevant information on wanted personalities.