P11-million bounty offered for DPWH executive's killers

MANILA, Philippines - Department of Public Works and Highways Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. said Wednesday there is an P11 million reward for the person who can give information leading to the arrest of the killers of DPWH Undersecretary Ramon Aquino. 

Ebdane said that during his recent meeting with President Arroyo last week, she reportedly pledged to give P1 million. “The reward is for anybody who could identify the perpetrators or give information that would lead to their capture,” he said.

Apart from the President, a group of concerned contractors have reportedly pooled their resources to come up with a bounty not only for the mastermind but also for every perpetrator.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has reportedly identified five suspects – four men and a woman.

A P1-million ransom would be given to the informant for every suspect he or she could identify, a total of P5 million. But Ebdane said the reward might go up to P2 million for each suspect arrested alive.

As for the mastermind, Ebdane said the contractors promised to give P3 million to those who would be able to positively identify him. “Aside from the reward, they will give a P2 million remuneration to the operating unit who would be able to capture the culprits,” he added.

Ebdane suggested that the contractors should put the money in a bank and designate someone to take charge of the withdrawal.

He also said while it has been two weeks since Aquino’s ambush last March 11, and the police have not yet made any arrest, he was satisfied with the progress of the investigation.

“It may be dragging but as a former PNP chief, I prefer that it would be packaged properly with concrete evidence for prosecution. I would also rather have one (of the suspects) be taken alive to have positive identification,” Ebdane, himself a former PNP chief, said.

He also expressed his opposition to some police officials disclosing information to the media, saying they “we cannot solve a case if we keep announcing what they have.”