Manila: A Philippine congressman says the $5 million bounty for the death of a wanted militant should go to families of 44 policemen who died during clashes with Filipino-Muslim rebels last month.
However, sources say two Filipino-Muslim rebels were already identified as recipients of the $5 million (Dh18 million) from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, for providing information leading to the death of Zulkifli Bin Hir, alias "Marwan".
“The bounty should compensate the families of the 44 members of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Forces (PNP-SAF) who died in clashes with fighters of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front [MILF] and a splinter group, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters [BIFF], after they killed Abdhir [Marwan] in Pidsawan village, Mamasapano, Maguindanao on January 25,” Congressman Neri Colmenraes told Gulf News.
Bounty
But no one in government is allowed to receive a bounty, explained military spokesman Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc, adding, “cash rewards go to private tipsters whose accurate information leads to a government’s successful mission.”
Two Informants
Two MILF members had informed authorities about Abdhir’s location, which prompted the PNP-SAF to send 400 men to the MILF-controlled territory in Mamasapano, a source told GMA News online.
They are now in the custody of the PNP Intelligence Group.
They wore police uniforms during the operation that included serving arrest warrants for Abdhir and Basit Usman, a Filipino-Muslim member of the Abu Sayyaf militant group, the same source said.
The Philippine government had put an additional P7 million (Dh583,333) bounty on Marwan’s head. Usman, who has a $1 million price on his head, escaped arrest.
Further tests would be done on Abdhir’s cut finger, although initial DNA test matched with the biological sample of his brother Rahmat Abdhir who is detained at a US facility in Guantanamo Bay, the FBI in Los Angeles said.
Peace deal in jeopardy?
Last month’s deadly clash, which also killed eight civilians and 18 MILF members, could jeopardise the Philippine government’s pro-autonomy peace settlement with the 37-year old MILF, which was signed last year. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation brokered the Philippine government-MILF peace talks that began in 1997.
An expert bombmaker for Jemaah Islamiyah, Al Qaida’s Southeast Asian conduit, Marwan was blamed for the twin-bomb attacks that killed 200 in Bali Indonesia in 2002; and the terror attacks in New York, Virginia, and Washington DC, that killed 2,977 in September 2001.
He had three Filipina wives since he started hiding in the south in 2003.
A US-backed Philippine military air strike failed to capture him in 2012.
