AFP awards P22.5M to tipsters

MANILA, Philippines - The military on Tuesday awarded a total of P22.5 million to nine informants who helped security forces track down wanted terrorists and communist rebels. 

Armed Forces public affairs chief Col. Noel Detoyato said the tipsters were instrumental in the capture or killing of two New People’s Army (NPA) leaders, three Abu Sayyaf sub-leaders and four of their cohorts. 

The cash reward given to informants ranged from P350,000 to P5.8 million. Armed Forces Vice Chief Maj. Gen. Romeo Tanalgo handed the money to tipsters in a ceremony held in Camp Aguinaldo.

The largest reward went to the civilian who helped government forces capture NPA leader Eduardo Esteban, who was wanted for murder in Abra. The informant received P5.8-million for relaying information that led to Esteban’s arrest

Another NPA leader who was apprehended with the help of a military informant was Dominiciano Muya, who was charged with robbery, double homicide and damage to properties in Agusan del Sur and multiple murder and double frustrated murder in Malaybalay City.

Muya, who carried a bounty of P4.8 million, was nabbed in Tagum City on Oct. 16, 2014.

The tipster who reported the whereabouts of Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Khair Mundos, meanwhile, was rewarded with P5.3 million. Mundos was arrested on June 11, 2014 in Parañaque City for murder, multiple frustrated murder and multiple attempted murder in Cotabato. 

Mundos used to be a finance and logistics officer who facilitated the transfer of funds and supplies to the Abu Sayyaf from foreign supporters, local politicians and businessmen in Basilan.

The informant who helped authorities track down Abu Sayyaf commander Long Malat Sulayman was given a P3.3-million reward. Sulayman, who was charged with nine counts of murder and four counts of frustrated murder, was killed while resisting arrest in Basilan on April 1, 2012.

Sulayman was also involved in the murder of 14 Marine troopers in Al-Barka, Basilan in 2007 and the killing of 19 Army men in the same town in 2011.   

The Abu Sayyaf cohorts who were tracked down by security forces with the help of informants were Jaojin Salam, who was charged with murder in Zamboanga del Norte (P1.1-million), Iyong Yacob, who was tagged in murder and extortion incidents (P650,000), Datu Mama Abpa, a bomb expert with multiple murder and frustrated murder cases (P600,000), Nur Hassan, who was tagged in various kidnapping and murder incidents in Basilan (P600,000) and Abi Pamanay, who was implicated in bombing incidents in Mindanao (P350,000). 

Salam and Yacob were killed during law enforcement operations while Abpa, Hassan and Pamanay were arrested by authorities.