(Eagle News) – President Rodrigo Duterte vowed he would not let criminal cops who had tainted the integrity of the national police off the hook, as he stressed that the cops responsible for the kidnap-slaying of a Korean businessman would “suffer.”
The President on Thursday apologized to the South Korean government and all its citizens for what happened to South Korean businessman Jee Ick-Joo who had been abducted and killed by certain policemen from the Philippine National Police’s Anti-Illegal Drugs Group (PNP-AIDG) in October last year.
“I apologize for the death of your compatriot. We are sorry that it had to happen. But I can assure you, those responsible are known to us already and they will have to go to prison,” Duterte assured South Korean ambassador to the Philippines Jae-Shin Kim during the ceremonial switch-on of the Sarangani Energy Corporation Power Plant on Thursday, January 26. The event was also attended by South Korean investors who are part of the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract of the 105-megawatt (MW) expansion of the Sarangani coal-fired power plant.
The ambassador earlier asked the President to investigate the incident thoroughly and asked that those who had committed the crime should be brought to justice.
Ambassador Kim said that the Korean people are “very, very upset that such a heinous crime was committed.”
The President, in his speech, assured ambassador Jae-Shim Kim, that he would make sure that the suspects are “sentenced to the maximum.”
“Kayong pulis, bantay kayo. Hindi ko kayo papalusutin. You will suffer,” he warned. He said he would even send the heads of the rogue cops over to South Korea if ever they think of escaping from prison.
The Korean businessman was killed allegedly inside the premises of the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City after he was taken by certain members of the PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Group from his home in Angeles City, Pampanga on October 18, 2016, along with his house help Marisa Morquicho.
The group who took them was allegedly led by SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel, SPO4 Roy Villegas, and Supt. Raphael Dumlao III, their immediate superior.
Both Sta. Isabel and Dumlao however denied the crime, and pointed at each other as the one who committed the crime during the senate inquiry on “Tokhang for ransom” cops on Thursday, January 26. SPO4 Villegas, one of those who were with the group who abducted the Korean, however, said in his affidavit that it was Sta. Isabel who killed the Korean businessman, and also tagged Dumlao as involved in the crime.
Villegas claimed he was just made to believe by Sta. Isabel that it was a legitimate police operation.
Malacanang had earlier issued a statement expressing outrage about the incident that had brought shame to the PNP, and tainted the government’s anti-illegal drugs war.