The government is offering P10 million for any information leading to the arrest of dismissed police official Eduardo Acierto, who is wanted for a drug smuggling case, an official said Monday.
READ: Manhunt for Acierto, 7 others in shabu case up
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra confirmed the reward but said he did not know where the money would come from.
“The bounty is from Malacañang, so I’m not privy to where it will be sourced. It’s not from the DOJ because such amount is certainly much larger than what the DOJ could offer,” Guevarra said in a text message.
He recalled that the Department of Justice offered only P500,000 for the arrest of Peter Go Lim, who faces separate charges for a drug trade conspiracy.
Guevarra said the Justice department will focus on Acierto’s coddlers and protectors, and the law enforcement agents will arrest them “wherever Acierto may be found hiding” and immediately bring them in for an inquest.
A Manila City regional trial court has issued a warrant of arrest and a hold-departure order against Acierto and seven other people accused of importing dangerous drugs in connection with the billions of pesos worth of shabu concealed in magnetic lifters seized last year.
Guevarra earlier said the arrest efforts against Acierto were “somewhat hampered” by the leakage of the DOJ resolution indicting the former police official, former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency deputy director for administration Ismael Fajardo, ex-Customs intelligence agent Jimmy Guban, and five others.
Chan Yee Wah alias KC Chan alias Fhonie Chan alias Albert Chan alias Chen Fong Hsiang; Zhou Quan alias Zhang Quan alias Zhauq Quan; Vedasto Baraquel Jr.; Maria Lagrimas Catipan, and Emily Luquingan are also accused of violating the dangerous drugs law.
The Justice department is now investigating who was responsible for the leakage.
READ: Hold departure order issued vs. Acierto, six others