Good news for fund raisers who have vital information leading to the arrest of the recent Davao bomb suspects. Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio is offering a P2-million reward for information leading to the arrest, plus the act itself of arresting the suspect, in the bombing of a night market in Davao Friday night. In that incident, 14 people, including a child, were killed and some 60 others were seriously wounded.
A million pesos for vital information. Another million pesos for delivering the suspect. However, the mayor wanted them “delivered” alive.
“We will also give [another] P1 million if you can deliver the suspect to us handcuffed and alive. I would like to emphasize that,” the mayor, daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte, said.
She offered the bounty after visiting the families of the bomb victims during the wake.
The first million the mayor offered would be for information that would reveal the name and exact whereabouts of the suspect. After apprehending the suspect alive then more information can be extracted from the same.
“We need (the suspect) alive because we have to talk to him,” Duterte-Carpio explained, saying they wanted to get more information on the bombing, including anything on the accomplices and especially the objective of the attack.
The second million-peso bounty will be for anyone who is able to arrest and take the suspect to the mayor alive.
A bomb blast at the night market in Davao on Friday night, September 2, was owned by the terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) as a retaliatory attack for the intensified military operations on its strongholds in Sulu, according to a text message of Presidential Management Staff Secretary Bong Go to the Davao mayor.
However, Duterte-Carpio decided the following day, Saturday, that the Roxas Night Market would be open for business.
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“(Davao City is) standing up now, not tomorrow, but right now,” she added.
Duterte-Carpio ordered the relief of Davao City Police Chief S/Supt. Michael John Dubria and Task Force Davao Commander Army Col. Henry Robinson.
According to her, it was only “natural” to have the officials replaced after the bombing, adding that her reasons were not about their qualifications but her future working relationship with them because she took the attack personally.
The Davao City mayor said that she might only have a strained working relations with Dubria and Robinson if she does not relieve them of their positions. She added that she is thinking of replacing Robinson with an AFP official. As for Dubria’s replacement she said that she would have to refer to the recommendations of Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa.
Some 7,000 troops have been deployed to ASG strongholds on orders of President Duterte to smash the bandit group for good.
An ASG spokesman, meanwhile, announced that more attacks are forthcoming. Alhabsi Misaya said that even if government troops would not attack them, the ASG would “initiate the attack against soldiers of Duterte.” He dubbed the upcoming fighting as “the last war of Patikul to the finish.” Misaya said the ASG would rally Tausugs to their “jihad.”
But the military has always treated ASG threats with a grain of salt. “This message is part of their warfare. Whether true or not, we have prepared for it,” Lieutenant General Mayoralgo dela Cruz, AFP Western Mindanao Command chief said. He doubted, however, Misaya’s mention of 1,000 Abu Sayyaf combatants. He estimated them to be merely between 200 and 250.
Sources: (newsinfo.inquirer.net, gmanetwork.com, cnnphilippines.com)
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