MANILA — Ten informants who provided information that led to the neutralization of eight Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and two communist terrorist leaders received PHP27.6 million worth of reward money from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Thursday.
The awarding took place at the OJ-2 Multi-Purpose Hall, Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) Compound at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
AFP chief-of-staff Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. personally handed the reward to the 10 informants, whose identities are concealed for security reasons.
Also present in the reward handover ceremonies were AFP deputy chief-of-staff for intelligence (J-2) Major Gen. Fernando Trinidad.
“Through information shared by tipsters, eight ASG members and cohorts, and two communist terrorist leaders were either killed or arrested in law enforcement operations conducted by the AFP in coordination with the Philippine National Police,” AFP public affairs office chief Col. Noel Detoyato said.
One of the known terrorist personalities neutralized was Ahmad Akmad Batabol alias “Basit Usman” with a PHP6.3 million-bounty on his head.
The latter is a bomb expert and a globally notorious terrorist, who was one of the associates of Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan”. Batabol was included in the US most-wanted terrorists list.
Other neutralized personalities were ASG members Muhiden Abdusalam Uyong alias “Waning Abdusalam” with PHP3.7 million; Kiri Hamid Sahiron with PHP3.3 million; and Mustapha Guindalangan alias “Tha” with PHP1.2 million.
Arrested ASG cohorts with rewards were Basit Balahim alias “Ballan” and Regin Onsing Nazirin alias “Sahirun” with PHP1 million each; and Abdullah Mutalib and Aldimar Sangkula alias “Kompol-Kompol” with PHP600,000 each.
The arrested communist terrorist leaders were Eduardo Genelsa alias “Lando” with PHP5-million bounty and Ricardo Ampan Manili alias “Joker” with PHP4.9 million.
Detoyato said the cash reward system that started in 2001 is aimed at encouraging citizens to join in the AFP and other law enforcement agencies’ counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency efforts.
This is also part of the military’s campaign towards a whole-of-nation approach in attaining the shared goal of a just and lasting peace and development for the country. (PNA)
