ICK JOO JEE, the Korean businessman and former Hanjin Shipping executive abducted last October 2016, was strangled to death inside the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters in Quezon City, according to a resolution by the Department of Justice (DoJ) on Thursday.

This was confirmed later that day by PNP Chief Director-General Ronald M. dela Rosa in a press briefing at Malacañang.

The alleged circumstances of Mr. Jee’s death were disclosed, in particular, by a sworn statement by Special Police Officer (SPO) 4 Roy Villegas, which the DoJ cited in its resolution dated Jan. 17 and released yesterday.

In the said resolution, the DoJ found probable cause to charge SPO3 Ricky M. Sta. Isabel, Ramon V. Yalung, Mr. Villegas and four others, with kidnapping for ransom with homicide over the abduction and killing of Mr. Jee.

In his sworn affidavit, Mr. Villegas detailed how Mr. Jee was killed by Mr. Sta. Isabel.

“From the residence of the victim, they (the indicted officers and party) proceeded to Camp Crame where the female person was transferred to the car of respondent Sta. Isabel,”read the resolution, which also referred to Marisa D. Morquicho, Mr. Jee’s house servant.

At Camp Crame, Mr. Villegas recalled Mr. Sta. Isabel approaching a “Sir Dumlao” and overheard Mr. Sta. Isabel telling the fellow: “Sir, ang alam ko ay kilala niyo ang mga ito dahil ang pagkakaalam ko ay sanction niyo ito (Sir, I heard that you know these people because this is a sanction [order] under you).”

He added that Mr. Sta. Isabel brought packaging tape and surgical gloves. “He finally recalls seeing [Mr.] Sta. Isabel strangling and killing the victim,” the resolution read in part.

Mr. Sta. Isabel then called a certain “Ding” to receive Mr. Jee’s body in exchange for P30,000 and a golf set.

“He (Mr. Villegas) reiterates that he thought all along that the surveillance and police operations which he participated in are legitimate police operations. When he realized it, he did not resist, and instead, he obeyed the instruction of [Mr.] Sta. Isabel for fear of his life and that of his family,” the resolution stated.

The case stemmed from the Oct. 18, 2016 abduction of Mr. Jee and Ms. Moriquicho at his residence in Angeles City, Pampanga.

In Ms. Moriquicho’s sworn statement, she recalled that she and Mr. Jee were taken by two men who identified themselves as police officers and brought to Manila on board a black Ford Explorer. During the trip to Manila, the men informed them of Mr. Jee’s alleged involvement in illegal drugs.

Ms. Moriquicho was released the following day, and she proceeded to report the incident to the Philippine National Police-Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) in Camp Crame, Quezon City. During the investigation, she identified respondent Messrs. Yalung and Sta. Isabel.

Also included in the resolution is a sworn statement by Police Officer (PO)2 Christopher B. Baldovino who narrated that he was part of a surveillance operation with Messrs. Sta. Isabel and Villegas.

“He joined the operation as he believed then that the operation is a legitimate police operation against the herein victim who, according to [Mr.] Sta. Isabel, is involved in illegal drugs,” the resolution read.

The resolution also noted that the wife of Mr. Jee, Kyunjin Choi, paid a ransom of P5 million at Central Town Mall, on Oct. 30, 2016, 12 days after Mr. Jee was killed.

The DoJ said in the resolution: “The narration of [Ms.] Morquicho and that of [Mr.] Villegas narrating in detail how respondents abducted and killed the victim is sufficient enough to establish that the victim was kidnapped and his liberty was restrained against his will.”

“The demand for money in the amount of [P8 million] made by the abductors as well as the delivery of [P5 million] as partial delivery and payment in exchange for the release of the victim proves that the abduction was for purposes of extorting money from his family.”

“The special complex crime of kidnapping for ransom with homicide is committed when the person was killed on the occasion, in connection, in the course of or subsequent to his detention, regardless of whether the killing was purposely sought or was merely an afterthought,” the resolution further read.

The seven-page resolution was penned by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Olivia Laroza-Torrevillas.

Mr. Sta. Isabel is currently under the protective custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) following his surrender last Jan. 15.Still, the DoJ issued an Immigration Look Out Bulletin Order on him three days later.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano N. Aguirre II, for his part, walked back an earlier statement that government protection may be offered to Mr. Sta. Isabel. In a text message sent to reporters yesterday, Mr. Aguirre said: “We will not put [Mr.] Sta. Isabel under our Witness Protection Program.”

Mr. Dela Rosa, for his part, said, “I will protest kung gagawin nilang state witness “yung gago na yun (if they make that fool a state witness).”

“Kung pwede lang matunaw ako ngayon sa kinalalagyan ko sa hiya (If only I can melt in my shame). It happened sa loob ng (inside) Camp Crame,” the PNP chief also said in his briefing on Thursday afternoon at Malacañang.

“I am very sorry na nangyari itong krimen na ito at mga tao ko pa” yung (that this crime happened and my people are) involved,” he added.

“I will give them the proper explanation in due time.”

“Kung sa Korea, yung kanilang customs sa tradition nila doon na magharakiri sila kapag sobrang hiya, ako di ko kaya gawin yan kasi ang sakit, masakit yan kapag gawin ko. Gusto ko na lang matunaw (If in Korea, their tradition is to commit harakiri out of shame, I can’t do that because it’s painful. I just want to melt),” he said of the Japanese custom.

In his response to this crime, Senate minority leader Ralph G. Recto said: “The cruelty and impunity inflicted in crimes like the one that victimized the Korean is beginning to define what a heinous crime that may be punishable by death is.”

“Heinous complex crimes like these… will set up a powerful emotional argument for death penalty, ” added the senator. — with Ian Nicolas P. Cigaral and Lucia Edna P. de Guzman — By Kristine Joy V. Patag

 

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR