Osmeña may offer reward on Landbank robbery

CEBU CITY — The city government may offer a P100,000 reward for information leading to the solution of the P4-million Landbank robbery two weeks ago.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña said the money may be taken from his intelligence fund.

"Yes, we are willing to give a reward. But I am still trying to work it out," Osmeña said.

The mayor said he will discuss the matter with members of the city council.

But Osmeña said there will be no reward offered at this time for the capture of individual suspects.

He said he still has to see if offering a reward will really help the police in arresting the robbers.

Vice Mayor Michael Rama, however, is opposed to offering a reward.

Rama said the city has offered too many rewards but they have yielded no results so far.

He instead suggested that the city first derive benefits from the previous rewards before offering another.

Rama, in arguing that rewards do not seem to work, cited the cases of missing City Hall paymasters Rosalina Badana and Cleofe Delute who continue to evade arrest.

The city offered a P500,000 reward for the arrest of Badana and P200,000 for De—lute’s.

Rama said the city also offered another P500,000 for the arrest of fugitive policeman Engelberto Durano but he has remained at large.

PNP regional director Avelino Razon Jr. is planning to ask civic organizations to put up a counterpart reward for the solution of the Landbank holdup.

Razon believes the solution of the case will come quicker if a reward is dangled for anyone who can provide information leading to the arrest of the suspects. — Freeman News Service