Kenney assures informant will get $10 million reward if Dulmatin’s death is confirmed

By Ronron
February 26, 2008

US Ambassador to Manila Kristie Kenney assured Tuesday that the $10 million reward for the neutralization of Indonesian bomber Dulmatin will go to the informant if his death is proven through the DNA test.

“We’ll look to find who’s responsible and make sure they get the money,” Kenney said in an interview at Maragondon, Cavite where she graced the launching of a newly-built school courtesy of soldiers who took part in the 2008 RP-US Balikatan exercises.

Dulmatin’s reward come from the US State Department for his alleged involvement in the bombings in Bali, Indonesia a few years back that killed locals and
foreign tourist.

Dulmatin is among the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) members who have allegedly entered the Philippines through the southern backdoor. He is with Umar Patek, who has a $1 million reward, and Marwan, who has a $5 million reward, among others, authorities have said.

Philippine military officials said they are trying to determine if the cadaver retrieved last week in Panglima Sugala, Tawi-tawi belonged to Dulmatin’s. The body belonged to a fighter who allegedly fought against Marine forces last January 31.

They also said they are verifying if Umar Patek was wounded in said encounter.

Kenney said that regardless of the result of the DNA test on the alleged remains of Dulmatin, “I’d like to congratulate the Armed Forces of the Philippines for doing a tremendous job of giving their lives in the south to track terrorists and people who destroyed our ways of life.”

For his part, AFP chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. thanked their US counterparts in the south “for their technical assistance.”

“Without their technical assistance and all other help in pursuing the terrorists in that part of the land, we would not have been as successful,” he said.

Kenney calls the RP-US military partnership as a “great” one, which, she said, not only makes “our lives more peaceful and safer, but… making our lives more prosperous.”

Like it did when they gave the $10 million reward to informants for the death of Abu Sayyaf top leader Khadaffy Janjalani, Kenney said “brave civilians” will also receive the reward for the neutralization of Dulmatin once confirmed.

“There is a process of evaluation all of those who have contributed to all the information that led to the successful operations. Anyway, we have to wait for the result, but the process is now ongoing just in case,” Esperon said.

Kenney said the result should come out “in a couple of weeks,” courtesy of the Philippine National Police and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“If that is not Dulmatin, then it is very important to remember that that’s one terrorist less,” Esperon said./DMS