PNP chief: Drug lords could have paid Abu Sayyaf to bomb Davao City

Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa on Monday raised the possibility that drug lords could have paid the Abu Sayyaf Group to stage the bombing in Davao City.

"Itong Abu Sayyaf pera-pera lang 'yan. Nangingidnap nga sila para sa pera eh. Kung ako mayamang drug lord sabihin ko sa kanila magbomba na lang kayo," Dela Rosa said in a press conference in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

Asked if the drug lords he is referring to are those detained in the National Bilibid Prisons, the PNP chief said "not only from the Bilibid, meron din sa labas."

"Still hindi natin madi-discount yung ASG na ginawa nila 'yan because of military and police operations against them," he added.

Dela Rosa had said that the bomb attack in Davao City could be an act of narco-terrosism.

In an interview with GMA News' Susan Enriquez on Sunday, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said his sources in Cotabato informed him that "known bombers in Central Mindanao area are moving."

Piñol also floated the idea that "bombers-for-hire" could have been behind the Davao City blast.

"Eh kasi mas maraming pera ang mga drug syndicates kaysa sa Abu Sayyaf eh. Posible rin na mensahe ito ng drug syndicates na ito, sample pa lang 'to (Davao City blast)," he said.

Police said they are looking for at least three people, including a man and two women, who may be responsible for the blast.

City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio has offered a P2-million reward for information on the identities of the suspects and their arrest. —ALG, GMA News