Duterte mulls raising bounty for car theft ring leader to P6 M

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is bent on raising the bounty for car theft ring leader Ryan “Baktin” Yu from P5 million to P6 million in spite of the objections of the Office of the President and the Commission on Human Rights.

Duterte said he is getting impatient with the ongoing manhunt for Yu who is believed to have fled abroad.

“I’m almost tempted to ask those who put up the reward money for an additional P1 million to make it all P6 million for his (Yu’s) capture,” he said.

A car dealer and several well-meaning residents here who wanted Yu captured and his group neutralized put up the reward.

Senior Superintendent Ronald de la Rosa, city police chief, said Yu was responsible for the series of car thefts in Mindanao, with authorities recovering more than 40 suspected stolen vehicles.

Duterte shrugged off criticisms by CHR chairperson Loretta Ann Rosales and presidential spokespersons Edwin Lacierda and Abigail Valte on the P5-million bounty for anyone who could literally bring Yu’s head before him.

“The order is legal. I know what I’m doing. I’m a lawyer and I have been giving lectures on human rights to police personnel. There was a caveat to what I said about the bounty,” he said.

Duterte said Yu is “armed and dangerous” and could possibly fire at any police or military personnel who would arrest him.

Should Yu disappear in “thin air,” he said it is “his (Yu’s) problem. He is the cause of it all.”

Duterte lamented how Yu was able to carry out his illegal operations. “It’s impossible for Yu to do what he does without the cooperation of corrupt LTO (Land Transportation Office) and HPG (Highway Patrol Group) members,” he said.