SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel, the principal suspect in the killing of South Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo, has denied all allegations against him, saying it was not him but Supt. Raphael Dumlao who perpetrated the abduction and murder.
Supt. Raphael Dumlao attends the Senate probe on the kidnap-slay of Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo. MAILA AGER/INQUIRER.net
During the Senate hearing on alleged “tokhang for ransom” cases, Sta. Isabel said he personally saw Dumlao beating Jee with a .45-caliber pistol inside an SUV parked in the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame.
“Si Dumlao talaga ang nagmaniobra ng lahat ng ito. Nu’ng tinawagan ako ni Dumlao, pinapunta n’ya ako sa grandstand. Nandoon naka-park ‘yung sasakyan n’ya,” Sta. Isabel said.
(It’s all Dumlao’s handiwork. When Dumlao called me, he told me to go to the grandstand. That’s where his car was parked.)
Sta. Isabel said he did not do anything when he saw Dumlao hitting Jee because he thought it was a legitimate antidrug operation. He added that he was not there when the businessman was killed.
But Dumlao said he did not authorize any antidrug operation against Jee.
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“Wala po akong inauthorize na ganyang operation. In fact ‘yung mga kasama po n’ya hindi ko po ka-unit. ‘Yung sinasabi nila na pinapakitaan sila ng warrant, hindi ko po alam ‘yan,” Dumlao said. “Hindi po kami matagal na magkakilala.”
(I did not authorize such an operation. In fact, the people I was with were not from my unit. I do not know about their claim that they were shown a warrant. I don’t know them for that long.)
Jee’s house helper Marisa Morquicho, who was kidnapped with the businessman, positively identified Sta. Isabel as one of the policemen behind the abduction who entered their house in Angeles, Pampanga.
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Morquicho said Sta. Isabel was talking to a “boss” through a phone call on the night they were kidnapped.
“‘Yung last na tawag sa kanya tinanong kung ‘positive o negative.’ Sabi n’ya po negative wala pong nakitang droga,” Morquicho said.
(During the last call, he was asked if “positive or negative.” He said negative, no drugs were found.)
Jee was taken from his home in Angeles, Pampanga lasf October 18, 2016 by policemen allegedly led by Sta. Isabel of the PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs group in the guise of a drug arrest. It was later revealed that the businessman was killed inside the police headquarters in Camp Crame the same day he was abducted. IDL/rga