Korean’s P100K golf set used to pay funeral parlor to keep corpse

The golf clubs owned by murdered Korean Jee Ick-joo are recovered from the Caloocan funeral parlor. JULLIANE LOVE DE JESUS/INQUIRER.NET

Anti-kidnapping police discovered a golf set, estimated to be worth P100,000 and owned by slain Korean trader Jee Ick-joo, inside a funeral parlor in Caloocan City where his body was believed to have been brought after he was kidnapped last October.

In a search conducted by members of the Philippine National Police’s Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP AKG), operatives recovered Jee’s 14 golf clubs and golf head covers at the Gream Funeral Services in Barangay (village) Bagbaguin on Wednesday night.

The search warrant was issued by a Quezon City regional trial court.

Supt. Dennis Wagas, PNP AKG’s legal officer, told reporters in Camp Crame that the golf set was brought to the funeral parlor along with Jee’s body  “either the night of October 18 or early morning of October 19” last year after he was taken from his home in Angeles, Pampanga.

READ: NBI: Abducted Korean national dead

Wagas said SPO3 Ricky Isabel and his two cohorts were riding in a Ford Explorer, also owned by Jee, when they brought the Korean businessman’s body and his personal items to the funeral parlor.

The golf clubs and other personal items owned by murdered Korean Jee Ick-joo are recovered from the Caloocan funeral parlor. JULLIANE LOVE DE JESUS/INQUIRER.NET

He said Sta. Isabel used Jee’s expensive golf set as payment to retired policeman Gerard Santiago, who owns the funeral parlor, so they would keep Jee’s body.

READ: 5 funeral home workers questioned on Korean’s abduction, slay

Santiago, a village official in Caloocan, used to be the deputy chief of Caloocan City Police before he took optional retirement in 2004.

PNP chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa earlier said Santiago managed to flee to Canada after Jee’s abduction.  IDL/rga