Korean, 3 others face kidnap raps

A criminal  complaint was filed yesterday against  a Korean national and three Visayan men  for the kidnapping of a  Korean businessman  and his live-in partner in barangay Lahug, Cebu City.

Korean national Song Sungheum, 32; Leonard Bulabon, 31; Gregorio Dealagdon, 40; and Richard Dealagdon, 36, are facing charges of kidnapping for ransom under  the Revised Penal Code before the Cebu City Prosecutors’ Office.

They were presented for an inquest proceeding but the four chose  to undergo a preliminary investigation so that they could answer the allegations against them.

They were given until Nov. 8 to  submit  counter-affidavits.

In the meantime, they will remain  detained at the Cebu City Police Office.

Lawyer Allan Blanco represented the three Filipino respondents while Charlie Shin, Cebu Korean Association Inc. vice president, assisted Sungheum, who was arrested by police upon arrival from Korea last Thursday at the Mactan airport.

Sungheum was tagged the mastermind of the kidnapping of  28-year-old Korean national Jun Hyung Chung and his girlfriend Charise Santiago.

Chung, in his affidavit, said he knew Sungheum  in the casino as a heavy gambler and that Sungheum had lost a lost of money and blamed him for it.

The affidavit did not state what police earlier said was an unpaid P4 million debt that Sungheum had allegedly tried to collect from his friend.

“This is unfortunate. We had kidnapping cases involving Koreans in Cebu and Manila last year. We are surprised that it’s happening again now,” said Shin in an interview.

“We will help him find a lawyer. The (Korean) embassy won’t provide him  with one so we just have to guide him on what to do.”

Shin said Sungheum denied the allegations against him.

“This is an isolated case. I hope it won’t affect the Korean community. In Cebu, more Korean tourists are coming,” said Shin.

Chung in his affidavit said he and his live-in partner  were taken from their home in barangay Luz, handcuffed  and brought to a deserted house where they were told  to pay P600,000 in exchange for their freedom.

He said the men identified themselves as members of the Criminal Investigation and Detective Group (CIDG) ..  He later identified his alleged kidnappers as the Dealagdon cousins, Bulabon and Sungheum.

Cebu City Intelligence Branch chief Romeo Santander said he would meet with the Korean community leaders to discuss the kidnapping incident./With Correspondent Chito O. Aragon