Outgoing cop on P5-M reward: Wait when Duterte takes office

PNP chief Director General Ricardo Marquez. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO/JULLIANE LOVE DE JESUS

Let’s wait until he takes office. This was the reaction of the outgoing chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to the promise of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to give a P5-million reward to anyone—be it a law enforcer or an ordinary citizen—who kills a drug lord.

READ: Duterte to cops:  Kill drug lords and get a reward

“Those are just pronouncements yet of the incoming president. So let’s see and hear first what would be his official pronouncements later,” PNP chief Director General Ricardo Marquez told reporters in Camp Crame after the flag-raising ceremony on Monday.

But as a matter of practice, Marquez said the PNP normally gives bounty in exchange for information leading to the arrest of persons wanted by the law, including suspects for drug-related charges.

Marquez said there are certain procedures the PNP should follow in giving the reward money.

“Again, there are procedures involved, kapag sobrang heinous crime ang involvement mo (if you have an involvement with a heinous crime), there is a board that does the deliberation. How much? We have a most wanted list with corresponding amount of rewards,” Marquez said.

Last Saturday, Duterte made an announcement that he would offer P5 million as a bounty to anyone who kills a drug lord, while P4.9 million awaits anybody who could arrest a drug lord.

“Ang bayad ko ngayon, ‘pag drug lord, mag-announce na ‘ko, P5 million ‘pag patay. Kung buhay, P4,999,000 lang,” Duterte told a crowd of around 500,000 people during his victory party at the Crocodile Park in Davao City.

(I would offer P5 million as a reward to anyone who kills a drug lord. If the drug lord is still alive, the bounty would only be P4.9 million.)

Duterte earlier appointed Chief Supt. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to replace Marquez when he assumes the presidency on June 30. Dela Rosa is also a former Davao City police chief. RAM/rga

READ: Duterte taps Dela Rosa as next PNP chief