The United States is working with the Philippines to bring terrorists to justice. \
Under the Bureau of Diplomatic Security’s Rewards for Justice program, six Filipino citizens received a ten-million dollar reward on June 7th for providing key information that led to successful military operations against two senior leaders of the Abu Sayyaf Group – Khadaffi Janjalani and Abu Solaiman.
The reward payment on June 7th is the largest Rewards for Justice payment in the Philippines since the program began there in 2002. Assistant Secretary Richard Griffin advises that since its inception in 1984, Rewards for Justice has paid more than seventy-two million to more than fifty people.
In 2006, information supplied by two Philippines citizens led to the capture of Ahmed Islam Santos, leader of the Rajah Solaiman Movement terrorist group. U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney said the informants were “ordinary people, living ordinary lives, who had the bravery and courage to stand up and say that terrorists will never be accepted.”
The United States is currently offering up to ten million dollars for information leading to the arrest of Dulmatin, a senior leader of the Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist group. Dulmatin is believed to have been involved in the planning of the 2002 terrorist bombings in Bali, Indonesia, which killed over two-hundred people.
A reward of up to one-million dollars is offered for another Jemaah Islamiyah operative, Umar Patek. Both are believed to be hiding in the Southern Philippines. U.S. State Department
Acting Coordinator for Counter-terrorism Frank Urbancic says international cooperation is essential in fighting terrorists:
“Working with allies and partners across the world through coordination and information sharing, we have created a less permissive operating environment for terrorists, keeping leaders on the move or hiding.”
U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney says those who come forward with information about terrorists and their activities “deserve our thanks.” .
