City hikes rewards money for informers

The City Council approved on third and final reading a proposed ordinance that increased the reward money being given by the local government to qualified informants.

Ordinance No. 62, series of 2022 authored by Councilor Jose Molintas further amended Section 2, of Ordinance No. 15, series of 2014 that earlier amended Ordinance No. 029, series of 1996 that appropriate the amount of P50,000 from the unappropriated account of the general fund for the current fiscal year to serve as fund for rewards to informers or person or group of persons who give information leading to the arrest, prosecution, and conviction of any drug pusher, any of the authors of heinous crimes committed in the city or any of the 10 most wanted criminals in the city.

Under Ordinance No. 62, series of 2022, any informer, persons or group of persons, shall be given an amount of P5,000 upon certification by the City Director of the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) that said informer has given information that led to the apprehension and prosecution of the accused.

Further, the informer shall be given an additional amount of P10,000 upon conviction of the accused through the testimony of the said informer.

The ordinance stipulated that by experience, the informants are not willing to publicly identify themselves and testify in court after giving information leading to the arrest of any person involved in the commission of heinous crimes for fear of reprisal or retaliation from the accused or his relatives or subordinates.

According to the measure, the problem of drug addiction has reached epidemic proportions and unless the city takes positive measures to ensure the participation of the constituency, efforts towards the solution of the pressing problem will prove futile.

However, considering the danger involved in the apprehension of drug pushers, including authors of heinous crimes committed in the city or the 10 most wanted criminals in the city, a nominal award to be given as incentive to encourage the constituents to involve themselves in the said endeavor is in order.

The ordinance claimed that the amount of P150,000 to serve as fund for rewards to be given to informers who are instrumental in the arrest, prosecution and conviction of any drug pusher, any of the authors of heinous crimes committed in the city or any of the 10 most wanted criminals in the city is a small amount compared to the value of the lives that are lost or ruined due to drug addiction or the commission of heinous crimes. – Dexter A. See