Robredo urges public to give information on ‘big six fugitives’

Interior Secretary Jesse M. Robredo. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse Robredo urged the public Friday to give information on the six high-profile fugitives.

“Coordinate with the nearest police or with the authorities they trust,” Robredo said during a radio interview. “They can come to the mayor or they can come to whoever can bring the information to us.”

President Benigno Aquino III increased the bounty for former general Jovito Palparan, former Palawan Governor Joel Reyes and his brother Mario, Globe Asiatique developer Delfin Lee, Dinagat Representative Ruben Ecleo, and New People’s Army leaders Benito Tiamzon and Jorge Madlos.

Palparan’s bounty was raised to P2 million from P1 million. He has been charged with the kidnapping of two student activists in 2006.

The Reyes brothers were tagged in the killing of Gerry Ortega, a broadcaster and environmentalist in Palawan. The reward for any information that will lead to the brothers’ capture has been raised to P2 million each from P1.55 million.

Lee, wanted for getting millions of pesos from the government in fake housing loans, and Ecleo, wanted for the murder of his wife in Cebu back in 2002, both have a bounty of P2 million.

The two communist leaders, Tiamzon and Madlos, have a standing bounty of P5.6 million each.

Robredo assured the public that the informant’s name would be kept strictly confidential.

“That will be kept confidential. I think what’s important is that the person confides in the person whom they trust,” Robredo said.

He added that the increased reward money was just one of the many steps they were taking in their “intensified” manhunt operations against the fugitives. They have also created a special team, composed of members from the National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine National Police, and Armed Forces of the Philippines.