Dela Rosa expresses shame over killing of Korean in Camp Crame

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa was overwhelmed with shame when he found out an abducted Korean businessman was killed and cremated right inside police headquarters.

"Kung pwede lang matunaw ako sa kinalalagyan ko sa hiya."

[Translation: If I can, I want to melt in shame.]

Dela Rosa on Thursday detailed how police officers and their cohorts carried out the kidnap for ransom of Jee Ick-joo inside Camp Crame in Quezon City.

"Doon namin nalaman sa mga pulis na sa loob pala ng Camp Crame at doon nila pina-cremate sa crematorium at isang retired pulis din pala may-ari na naging barangay kapitan na," he said.

[Translation: We found out from a police that it happened inside Camp Crame and they cremated the body in a crematorium owned by a former cop and now a barangay captain.]

Dela Rosa said this modus has been going on for quite some time.

"Apparently matagal na nila itong ginagawa yung style na kine-cremate ang victim kidnap, kasi ash na, walang body, hindi na mapa-DNA," he said.

He added an employee of the crematorium panicked and flushed the ashes of Jee down the toilet, but Dela Rosa cannot personally verify the claim.

The head of PNP was mortified upon knowing that his men are involved in kidnap for ransom activities.

"(I'm) very offended," he said.

Dela Rosa also threatened police officers who are involved in these illegal activities.

"If I have my way, papatayin ko kayo mga pulis kayo na kidnapper. Bilang Chief PNP gusto ko patayin yan, kaso I can't do it kasi it's illegal," he said.

[Translation: If I had my way, I will kill the cops who are kidnappers. As Chief PNP, I want to kill them, but I can't because it's illegal.]

The Justice Department has found probable cause to file kidnapping for ransom with homicide charges against police officers SP03 Ricky Sta. Isabel, SP04 Roy Villegas, Ramon Yalung, and four other men.

Jee's adbuction

SPO4 Villegas and PO2 Christopher Baldovino — part of the "arresting team" against Jee — gave statements narrating in detail the incident, which points to Sta. Isabel and other respondents as the abductors who killed the victim.

Villegas and Baldovino both believed the operation against Jee, who was allegedly involved in illegal drugs, was legitimate.

Villegas said it was "Pulis" and "Jerry" who took and dragged Jee into a black Ford Expedition from his house in Angeles, Pampanga. He admitted he helped Sta. Isabel and the other two to load the victim into the car.

Sta. Isabel also took a female person, who turned out to be Jee's house help Marisa Morquicho.

From Jee's house they proceeded to Camp Crame, where Morquicho was transferred to Sta. Isabel's car.

He then noticed Sta. Isabel was talking with a certain "Sir Dumlao." He also saw Sta. Isabel carrying packaging tape and surgical gloves.

Sta. Isabel then instructed them to cover the head of Jee with tape.

He recalled seeing Sta. Isabel strangling and killing the Korean national.

Villegas said Sta. Isabel called up "Ding," who received the body for P30,000 and a golf set.

They then brought the body to a funeral parlor.

Even though Jee was killed last October 18, 2016, the respondents still managed to get ransom money from his wife, Kyungjin Choi.

On October 30, Choi paid the P5 million out of the P8 million demanded by the abductors.

The police has also discovered the golf set, which was said to be payment to hide the body of the victim.

The DOJ is holding a separate investigation on the illegal detention of Jee's house help.