AFP gives out P9.25 million in rewards to tipsters

MANILA, Philippines - The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has awarded a total of P9.25 million in rewards to individuals who provided information that led to the arrest of five communist rebels and two renegade members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front-Special Operations Group (MILF-SOG).

In a statement, the AFP said cash rewards were given to tipsters who helped capture communist rebels Alfred Mapano, Delfin de Guzman, Joan Calderon, Emma Calderon, and Segundino Bongcay, and MILF-SOG members Ismael Manalasal and Esmaell Salman Sandaton.

Mapano, who had a bounty of P5.6 million, was the secretary of the New People’s Army (NPA) North Central Mindanao Regional Committee.

On the other hand, De Guzman was a member of the NPA’s Central Luzon Executive Committee and carried a bounty of P1.2 million.

Joan and Emma Calderon, meanwhile, were squad leader and executive committee member, respectively, of an NPA unit in Negros. Both had a bounty of P550,000.

Bongcay was a commanding officer of an NPA committee in Albay, with a P150,000 reward offered for his capture.

Manalasal and Sandaton, rogue rebels of the MILF, both had a bounty of P600,000.

The military said it has so far approved the release of P16.05 million in rewards to informants.

Those with the highest bounties include Jemaah Islamiyah terrorists Dulmatin (P10.6 million) and Omar Patek (P10.2 million), MILF renegades Commander Ameril Ombra Kato (P10 million), Abdulrahman Macapaar alias Commander Bravo (P10 million) and Abu Sayyaf leader Radullan Sahiron (P7.4 million).