Anti-kidnapping chief: Dumlao fearing Sta. Isabel, his protectors

PNP Anti-Kidnapping chief Senior Supt. Glenn Dumlao shares details of his conversation with Supt. Rafael Dumlao, one of the suspects behind the Oct. 18 killing of South Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo. JULLIANE LOVE DE JESUS/INQUIRER.net

Supt. Rafael Dumlao, one of the team leaders of the Philippine National Police’s Anti-Illegal Drugs Group (PNP AIDG) tagged in the controversial kidnap-slay of South Korean Jee Ick-joo, admitted that there were people higher than him protecting his former subordinate SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel.

Senior Supt. Glenn Dumlao, chief of the PNP’s Anti-Kidnapping Group, revealed in an interview on Thursday that during his conversation with Rafael, the latter admitted that there was a syndicate protecting Sta. Isabel, one of the principal suspects in the killing of Jee inside Camp Crame, the PNP’s headquarters.

READ: Korean businessman killed inside PNP headquarters

“Ang unang sabi niya sa akin, ‘Sta. Isabel, demonyo ka.’ Sabi ko, ‘Bakit takot ka kay Sta. Isabel?’ ‘Ang dami nila. Hindi niyo sila kaya, hindi niyo sila kaya,’” Dumlao said, adding that Rafael was in tears when they were talking.

(First, he told me: “Sta. Isabel, you’re a demon.” I said, “Why do you fear Sta. Isabel?” “There are many of them. You can’t go after them.)

“Sinira niyo ang PNP. Sinira niyo imahe ng PNP. Ibangon niyo naman kahit magsabi ka lang ng totoo, at ang sagot niya, “Hindi niyo sila kaya,”” he added.

(I said, “You destroyed the PNP. You destroyed the image of the PNP. Redeem it by saying the truth.” He answered: You can’t go after them.)

Dumlao then told Rafael: “That’s your choice. If you keep fearing them, ikaw makukulong dito, ibangon mo sarili mo (you will be jailed, redeem yourself).”

The anti-kidnapping chief, however, did not give further details on the protectors of Sta. Isabel.

Despite the overwhelming evidence against him, Sta. Isabel repeatedly denied his involvement in the killing of Jee.

READ: Evidence overwhelming against SPO3 Sta. Isabel

But Dumlao said Sta. Isabel was “obviously lying.” Of all the testimonies given by the persons involved in the crime, only Sta. Isabel gave a different version.

Rafael, Sta. Isabel and two other cops behind the killing were all members of the newly-dissolved PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Group (AIDG).

Jee was strangled inside his car parked outside the PNP AIDG and Police Community Relations Group offices last October. He was murdered allegedly by Sta. Isabel as witnessed by two of his accomplices.

On October 18 last year, Sta. Isabel’s group, allegedly under the instructions of Rafael, abducted the Hanjin executive and house help Marissa Morquicho from their house in Angeles City, Pampanga. The cops released Morquicho before they killed Jee inside Crame. They then brought his body to a funeral parlor in Caloocan City and had it cremated in a different facility.

Despite Rafael expressing fears, Dumlao assured that they will go after the syndicate, now that President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered them to take a stern action on the case.

“Kaya namin silang banggain. Sa galit ng Presidente? Eh kung ang Presidente binabangga si President (Barack) Obama, eto lang itong mga ‘to. Sa galit ni PNP chief, sa galit ni NBI director?” he said.

(We can go against them. With the President’s wrath? If the President can go against President Obama, he can surely go after a syndicate. With the anger of the PNP chief and NBI director?)/rga