P10-million reward eyed for Atong Ang arrest —DILG’s Remulla

The Department of the Interior and Local Government is considering offering a P10-million reward for information leading to the arrest of Atong Ang, who is facing arrest warrants in connection with the missing sabungeros case.

DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla said that officials plan to formally announce the reward later this afternoon to pressure Ang to surrender to authorities.

“Mamaya may meeting kami at magbibigay na kami ng reward at mag-a-announce kami mamayang hapon para mabigyan ng pressure talaga na i-turn over na siya sa amin,” he told Dobol B TV in an interview.

(Later we will have a meeting and we will give a reward and we will announce it this afternoon to really put pressure on him to turn himself in to us.)

“Siguro P10 million puwede na iyon (Maybe P10 million is enough),” he added.

According to Remulla, Ang is still in the Philippines based on the agency’s monitoring. Authorities are concentrating on the Luzon area.

“Nandito pa siya kasi noong sabi nga ng abogado noong the day before ay kasama niya pa. Pumipirma ng mga papel bago lumabas 'yung mga warrant of arrest a few hours later. So ang tracking namin nandito pa rin siya,” he said.

(He is still here because the lawyer said the day before that he was still with him. He was signing papers before the arrest warrants came out a few hours later. So our tracking shows he is still here.)

For Remulla, Ang is considered “armed and dangerous” citing the allegations against the accused that he was involved in the killing of over a hundred people, as well as the latter’s numerous bodyguards.

Remulla said authorities are ready in case Ang fights back during arrest.

“We consider him armed and dangerous. Sabi ng abogado niya iresponsible daw ang pagsasabi ko noon. Paano ang trato mo sa pumatay ng lagpas isang daan tao, na inutos ang pagpapatay ng lagpas isang daan tao, na ang bodyguard niya ay lagpas dalawampu, kada minuto kung sa kahit saan siya pumunta?” he said.

(His lawyer said that what I said was irresponsible. How do you treat someone who killed over a hundred people, who ordered the killing of over a hundred people, whose bodyguards number over twenty, every minute wherever he goes.)

“'Di ba armed and dangerous 'yung ganun? Kaya kami, lahat ng eventuality pinaghahandaan namin na kung lalaban siya, hindi namin papalagpasin,” he added.

(Isn’t that kind of person armed and dangerous? That’s why we are preparing for all eventualities so that if he fights back, we won’t let it pass.)

Earlier in the day, the Philippine National Police said it has intensified monitoring at airports and seaports nationwide to prevent the possible departure of Ang

PNP acting chief Police Lieutenant General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. ordered closer coordination with immigration authorities as part of the manhunt against Ang.

“The most logical option for him is to surrender because the PNP is determined to comply with the arrest warrant issued by the court. If he is indeed innocent as he has been claiming, the more that he should be encouraged to surrender to face the accusations against him,” he said.

Ang is among the 18 accused facing arrest warrant in connection with the disappearance of cockfight enthusiasts. He is facing 15 counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention and four counts of kidnapping with homicide, according to the PNP.

The other 17 accused are already in police custody.

Ang’s lawyer, Gabriel Villareal, earlier requested to be given some time to review the accusations against his client.—AOL, GMA Integrated News