PNP Supt. Rafael Dumlao during the Senate Hearing on the murder of Korean National Jee Ick-Joo. INQUIRER PHOTO/ ALEXIS CORPUZ INQUIRER PHOTO/ ALEXIS CORPUZ
The Angeles City Regional Trial Court (RTC) has found probable cause to justify the further detention of former anti-narcotics police officer Supt. Rafael P. Dumlao III and his coaccused Jerry Omlang, who were both tagged as among the people behind the death of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo in October 2016.
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Angeles RTC Branch 58 Judge Irineo P. Pangilinan Jr. issued the order based on the merit received by the court regarding the case.
鈥淎fter an examination of the amended information, joint resolution and attached documents, the Court finds probable cause for the commitment of accused PSupt. Rafael Dumlao III aka 鈥淪ir Dumlao鈥� and Jerry A. Omlang aka 鈥淛erry,鈥� the judge said in a two-page court order.
Dumlao, an anti-drug officer of the Philippine National Police (PNP), and Omlang, errand boy at the National Bureau of Investigation, have been included as co-accused in the case of kidnapping for ransom with homicide along with SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel and SPO4 Roy Villegas.
The court also issued an arrest warrant against Gerardo G. Santiago, owner of the Gream Funeral Services, where the body of Jee was taken.
Court records said Santiago has been included in the case as an accessory because Jee鈥檚 body was brought to his funeral home after the killing reportedly happened inside the PNP鈥檚 main headquarters in Camp Crame.
The court, however, granted Santiago鈥檚 request to reduce bail from P200,000 to P100,000.
The court has required all the accused to appear on聽May 31,聽for their arraignment.
Investigations revealed that Jee and his house help were abducted from the businessman鈥檚 house in Angeles City on October last year. Jee鈥檚 house help was released but he was strangled to death inside his SUV that was parked in Camp Crame.
Jee鈥檚 body was cremated and the ashes were flushed down a toilet, based on witnesses鈥� testimony.
Jee鈥檚 death prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to stop the police鈥檚 war on drugs and ordered PNP Chief Ronald dela Rosa to clean its ranks.
Police鈥檚 war on drugs operation resumed early this year. JPV