Arrest of more criminals expected with decentralized reward system

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine National Police (PNP) is hoping that the decentralization of its reward system would bring more wanted criminals behind bars.

Director Eugene Martin, head of the PNP’s directorate for intelligence, said police regional directors were given the task of handing out rewards to informants.

“To rid informants of the hassles and high cost of traveling to Camp Crame to get their rewards, we made life easier for them by designating the police regional directors as the ones doing the task,” said Martin in an interview.

The past two weeks, Cordillera police director Chief Superintendent Orlando Pestano handed out rewards to three informants who helped the police solve the killing of Indonesian priest Fr. Franciscus Madhu and arrest the suspects in the multiple rapes of two teenagers and a murder case.

Pestano handed out P90,000 to Madhu’s case informant Ryan Gayao Benigno, P200,000 for Denver de la Cruz and another P90,000 for Joey Magno.

Martin said the reward to informants is one of the priority programs of PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa, and approved by Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno.