THE three National Bureau of Investigation officials implicated in the abduction and killing of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo in October last year are expected to appear before the Justice department today to answer the charges against them.
This developed after the department summoned former NBI deputy director for investigation services Jose Yap, former National Capital Region director Ricardo Diaz, and former Task Force against Illegal Drugs head Roel Bolivar to appear before its preliminary reinvestigation of the case.
The three were required to submit their counter-affidavits on the charges of kidnapping for ransom and serious illegal detention with homicide, robbery, carjacking and obstruction of justice filed by the Philippine National Police.
All three were tagged by Supt. Rafael Dumlao, an official of the PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Group who allegedly masterminded Jee’s kidnapping. They were earlier ordered relieved from their posts by Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II.
Also named respondents are five employees of Gream funeral where Jee’s body was cremated and disposed of. They are Epephany Gotera, Teodolito Macato Tarepe, Kevin Enriquez, Robert John Tobias and Bernardo Maraya.
The hearing of the case has been set at 2 p.m.
In an earlier complaint filed before the Angeles City regional trial court, the police only named Senior Police Officer 2 Ricky Santa Isabel, Senior Police Officer 4 Roy Villegas, and Ramon Yalung as respondents along with four others who were only named “Sir Dumlao, Jerry, Ding and Pulis.”
The case was initially kidnapping for ransom with homicide.
RTC Branch 58 Judge Irineo Pangilinan Jr. ordered the reinvestigation of the case on Santa Isabel’s plea who pointed to Dumlao as the brains in Jee’s kidnapping and killing.
In the amended complaint, the police also named Dumlao as a respondent along with Gerardo Santiago and Jerry Omlang.
Santiago, the retired police officer who owns the Gream funeral parlor where Jee’s body was cremated, applied to be included in the Witness Protection Program after surrendering to the NBI.
Omlang, a striker or errand boy at the NBI who also surrendered and confessed to his participation in the crime, has likewise sought protection from the bureau.
Santiago and Omlang backed the claim of Santa Isabel that it was Dumlao who masterminded Jee’s kidnapping and killing.