Duterte offers P1 million for capture of Negros police killers

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte has offered P1 million for the capture of the gunmen that killed four policemen in an ambush in Negros Oriental last Thursday. 

Duterte offered the reward during a command conference with security forces held after he visited the wake of the slain policemen last Saturday.  

“According to the Chief Executive, a P1-million reward will be given for the capture, whether dead or alive, of the masterminds, perpetrators, and main shooters of the four police (intelligence) personnel,” presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said.

“A P50,000 reward, on the other hand, will be given for the capture of all the conspirators involved in this felonious activity,” he added. 
The Office of the President condemned the ambush and vowed to bring its perpetrators to justice. 

“We will ensure that justice will be served to those behind this condemnable offense against our peace enforcers. The full force of the law will come crashing down on the perpetrators,” Panelo said. 
The ambush in Ayungan town was believed to have been carried out by communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebels.

The slain policemen, identified as Corporal Relebert Beronio, Patrolman Raffy Callao, Patrolman Ruel Cabellon and Patrolman Marquino de Leon, were intelligence personnel from the 704th Mobile Force Company Regional Mobile Force Battalion based in Central Visayas.

Police reports said the four policemen were verifying the reported presence of communist rebels in Barangay Mabato when they were attacked.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde vowed to hold accountable the communist rebels responsible for the brutal slay of the four policemen.

“The long arms of the law are now stretching within and beyond the borders to catch all those who are responsible for the deaths of the PNP personnel,” Albayalde said.

Albayalde said they have leads on the identities of some of the rebels who killed the police officers. – With Emmanuel Tupas, Gilbert Bayoran, Edith Regalad