Palace hands off on P1 million reward for militants’ arrest

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang yesterday distanced itself from the P1-million reward for information that will lead to the arrest of National Anti-Poverty Commission chairperson Liza Maza and three others tagged in the murder of three people more than a decade ago.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. clarified that the offer came from a private group. 

“That is a private initiative. As far as we are concerned, all aspects of this case are in the hands of the court and we look forward to an impartial and expeditious trial,” Roque said in a statement. 

Roque said Maza remains a member of the Cabinet “unless there is a directive from the President stating otherwise.”              

Malacañang added that the police have urged the four to surrender and to prove their innocence before the court. 

Anti-crime group Citizens’ Crime Watch (CCW) earlier has offered a total of P1 million to those who can provide the whereabouts of Maza, former agrarian reform secretary and former Anakpawis partylist representative Rafael Mariano and former Bayan Muna partylist representatives Satur Ocampo and Teddy Casiño.

The four were tagged in the murder of three Akbayan partylist supporters in Nueva Ecija in 2001 and 2004.

CCW said tipsters would be given P250,000 each for information that would help the police track down Mariano, Ocampo, Casiño and Maza, who is also a former representative of women’s group Gabriela-partylist. 

In an interview last week, Maza denied involvement in the killings and promised to face the charges against her. She claimed that the cases against her were fabricated. 

Supporters of the four former lawmakers have also claimed that the cases against them form part of “political persecution.”