PNP Chief Dela Rosa Says Drug Lords may have Paid Abu Sayyaf to Bomb Davao City

Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Director General Ronald De la Rosa said police investigators are looking into several possibilities regarding the identities of the perpetrators of the recent bombing in Davao City that killed 15 people and hurt over 80 others.

PNP Chief De la Rosa said one of the angles the police are looking into is “narco-terrorism.”

In a news conference on Monday, September 5, De la Rosa said the Davao City bombing may be related to the administration’s campaign against illegal drugs. He raised the possibility that drug lords who are feeling the pressure of the Duterte administration’s intensified war on drugs may have paid terrorists to stage the bombing.

He said the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group kidnaps people for money. The group, De la Rosa said, can also bomb people for money.

“Kung ako’y mayaman na drug lord, pwede ko bayaran Abu Sayyaf. Pwede kong bigyan ng pera, sige bumomba kayo; you don’t have to kidnap people. After all mga terorista ‘tong mga ito,” ABS-CBN quoted the PNP chief as saying.

[If I am a rich drug lord, I could pay the Abu Sayyaf. I could give them money and tell them: ‘Go stage bombings, you don’t have to kidnap people.’ After all these are terrorists]

Earlier, the Abu Sayyaf Group claimed responsibility for the bombing attack. It warned of similar attacks in the future.

Meanwhile, Davao City Mayor and presidential daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio raised a P2-million bounty for any information on the identity of the bombers that would lead to their arrest.