CITY OF MALOLOS—A P2.2 million reward money is up for the whereabouts of the suspect who killed two policemen in Bocaue town during buy-bust operations against illegal firearms on Saturday.
Bulacan Gov. Daniel Fernando announced a P2 million worth bounty the Bulacan Provincial Government will give to anyone who could pinpoint where one alias “Athan”, the gunman who killed Police Staff Sgts. Dennis Cudiamat, 36 and Gian George Dela Cruz, 45, both intelligence operatives of the Bocaue municipal police station, was hiding.
Fernando announced the bounty during the Provincial Peace and Order Council Meeting at the Hiyas Pavilion in this city on Tuesday.
“The P2-million reward we offer is part of the concerted efforts to bring justice to our policemen who were heroes in helping keep the coming May election peaceful and orderly,” the governor said.
According to the office of Region 3 Police Director B/Gen. Jean Fajardo, Cudiamat and Dela Cruz were in an anti-illegal firearms operation as part of the implementation of Commission on Election (Comelec) gun ban for the May elections.
The office of RD Fajardo also earlier released a P100,000 million reward money for the arrest of Athan.
Bocaue Vice Mayor Sherwin Tugna told NEWSCORE on Monday that Mayor Eduardo Villanueva Jr. is giving P100,000 reward money to help hasten the arrest of Athan.
Fajardo visited their wakes in this town on Monday and gave them Posthumous Awards through their respective families.
Bulacan Provincial Police Information Office chief, Maj. Jaymalin Udal said the two policemen with fellow troopers were conducting buy-bust and violation to illegal possession of firearms operation in relation to Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act) or Republic Act (R.A.) 10591 against Athan and one alias “Dado” noon time in Sitio Tugatog, NIA Road, Brgy. Tambubong when suddenly Athan fired on them and wounded Dela Cruz.
Dela Cruz was rushed to the nearest hospital in the town but died three hours later while undergoing treatment.
Athan then, as seen in Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage, ran towards a field to elude the police, but he was pursued by Cudiamat. At some 300 meters away, the police officer stopped and parked his motorcycle and when about to alight, was shot by the suspect who came from behind, in a hidden section on the side of the road where the police officer exactly parked his vehicle.
As also seen in the CCTV footage, Cudiamat fell on the ground and Athan continued firing on him. He then took the motorcycle of the police and escaped.
The rest of the police operatives ran after Dado and arrested him in Bunsuran 2nd, Pandi town. Recovered from him were one Honda Beat motorcycle, one caliber .38 revolver without a serial number, one hand grenade, one Rusi 125 motorcycle with a sidecar, one genuine one-thousand-peso bill used in the buy-bust money, and four boodle money bills.
Recovered in the crime scene were multiple fired cartridge cases, deformed bullets, and a caliber .45 Para Ordnance pistol with a possibly tampered serial number, Udal said.
According to Udal, criminal charges for violations of R.A. 10591 in relation to the Omnibus Election Code, R.A. 9516 (Illegal Possession of Explosives) and a double murder case are now being prepared against brothers Dado and Athan. the arrested and at-large suspects.
Fajardo strongly condemns the act of violence against her men. She vows to intensify their operations to give them justice. Authorities urge anyone with information on the whereabouts of the at-large suspect to report to the nearest police station.
