Rodrigo Duterte offers US$59,000 bounty for ‘head’ of rebel leader behind killing of four Philippine policemen

Members of the New People’s Army ambushed and attacked the officers in central Philippines on July 18, killing them instantly, police said

Duterte has offered a bounty of three million pesos for the ‘head’ of the communist rebel leader behind the attack

2-MIN READ2-MIN

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Photo: AP

Published: 10:30pm, 25 Jul 2019Updated: 11:37pm, 25 Jul 2019

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has put a bounty on the “head” of a communist insurgent leader a week after four police officers were killed by armed rebels in central Philippines.

According to police, members of the New People’s Army (NPA) ambushed and shot the officers when they were riding on motorcycles in Negros Oriental province on July 18, killing them instantly.

“Still not satisfied with the blood of their prey, the terrorists also looted the dead of their firearms, valuables and personal belongings, and drove off with the victims’ motorcycles,” said a statement by the Philippine police.

Duterte said on Thursday he would offer three million pesos (US$59,000) to anyone who could bring him the “head” of the communist insurgent leader behind the killings.

He raised the bounty, which was initially set at one million pesos, on Thursday out of anger for what he described as an Islamic State group-style of killing of the officers last week.