Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza turned over the P1 million check to City Police Chief Limuel Obon earlier today, June 21. / CDND File Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The P1 million cash reward which Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza promised for the arrest of the murderer of church collector Christine Lee Silawan is now ready for release.
Radaza turned over a check containing the cash reward to Police Colonel Limuel Obon, chief of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LLCPO), earlier today, June 21, with a request for the submission of a liquidation report after the amount would have been fully utilized.
The bounty promised for the arrest of Silawan’s murder reached a total of P2 million. Of the amount, P1 million was promised by the Lapu-Lapu City government.
Read More: Reward for info on Christine’s killers now at P2 million
The P1 million reward from City Hall will be shared by informants who gave tips which led to the arrest of Renato Llenes, who later on confessed to killing Silawan.
“I think niingon man guro sila nga dili na sa ilaha ang kwarta kun dili, ila ning i-equate sigon sa gibug-aton kung kinsa ang witness,” Radaza said.
(I think they (the police) already said that they will not be keeping the money and instead release this to the witnesses and the amount to be given will depend on the helpufulness of the information that the witnesses gave.)
Read More: Five witnesses to receive cash reward for helping solve Silawan case
Mayor Radaza said that she will now leave it to the police to decide on how they will divide the P1 million reward among their witnesses.
“Although naa nama’y report nga gihatag ang police kun kinsa ang mga makadawat sa reward,” she added.
(The police already gave me a report on who will be getting a share of the cash reward.)
The P1 million check from the Lapu-Lapu City government. /CDND File Photo
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Radaza is hopeful that other individuals and agencies that promised to also give their share of cash reward will fulfill the earlier promise that they made.
“Sa akong bahin lang ug sa akong mga tawo, (as far as the police is concerned) we did our job, notwithstanding the reward,” Obon said in an interview after the turnover of the P1 million check.
But he admitted that the reward offer helped expedite their investigation of the murder case.
“So I hope nga mga ingon ani, although wala ta mag-wish nga naay ingon ani na sab nga panghitabo, but this will motivate other people to come out to the open. Not just for the reward, but sa ilang patriotic duty nga motabang sa pagsulbad sa kaso,” he added.
Silawan’s half-naked body was found dumped in a vacant lot in Barangay Bankal, Lapu-Lapu City in March. Her face was skinned while some of her body parts were believed to have been eaten by animals or rodents./dcb