By Florante S. Solmerin

MANILA, Philippines—Implicated in the killing of a journalist six years ago, the Government of the Republic of the Philippines has offered a bounty of P15 million for the capture of two top personalities of the communist movement.

Jose Ma. Sison commonly called “Joma”, founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and chief political consultant of the National Democratic Front-Philippines (NDFP), now carries a P10 million bounty for his capture for alleged involvement in the killings of media personalities, a spokesman of the Philippine National Police (PNP) said yesterday.

PNP spokesman Chief Supt. Nicanor Bartolome said Gregorio “Ka Roger” Rosal, CPP senior spokesman and leader of the New People’s Army (NPA), also has P5 million bounty for his capture.

He said the P15 million reward money for the two communist leaders is part of the P18 million cash reward system that the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)approved.

He also quickly clarified that the P18 million is not part of the P25 million released by Malacanang to fund the resolution of political killings in the country.

President Arroyo asked Congressmen to allocate P 250,000 from their pork barrel fund for the government to raise the P 25 million reward for the killings of political personalities.

“The P18 million reward system for those implicated in the killing of media personalities will be drawn from the DILG reward system,” Bartolome said.

“The Department of Interior and Local Government has already approved the reward system for the 20 suspects who are still at large as regard to the killing of media personalities,” he added.

Both Sison and Rosal were implicated in the killing of media personality Nelson Nadura, a media man from Masbate.

Nadura, a broadcaster of DYME based in Masbate who is reportedly a former NPA member, was shot dead by a group of unidentified men in front of the radio station last December 2, 2003.

Bartolome said that there are 19 other suspects linked to the murder of members of militant groups who were also recommended to be included in the DILG reward system. “It is already up for approval in the Office of DILG Secretary Ronaldo Puno,” he said.

The cash reward offered by the DILG for the 19 suspects involved in the killing of activists amount to P3.235 million, it was learned.

The PNP spokesman said the offer on the cash reward coincides with the release of posters of wanted persons involved in the killing of media personalities.

Bartolome said the posters produced by the PNP will be distributed to the different police regional and provincial offices along with police municipal and city stations in the coming weeks.