President Benigno Aquino 3rd has raised the bounty for Stephanie Nicole Ella’s killers from P400,000 to P2 million, a Malacañang official said on Sunday.

Palace deputy spokesman Abigail Valte said in an interview aired over state-run Radyo ng Bayan (dzRB) that the President offered a P2-million reward for whoever could give information leading to the arrest of Ella’s killer.

“Yes, I can confirm that. The President mentioned it last week in his dialogue with the annual conference of the RMN station managers. P2 million for the information leading to the arrest and conviction,” she added.

Mayor Recom Echiverri of Caloocan City and Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian of Valenzuela City have each offered P200,000 for any information about the man who fired the bullet that felled the 7-year-old Nicole.

Stephanie Nicole was laid to rest at the Sanctuario de Paz in Norzagaray, Bulacan province on Saturday, almost two weeks after she was killed by a stray bullet during the New Year revelry.

Initial police reports said that the bullet came from a caliber .45-pistol that was fired about 50 meters from where the girl was standing.