A Korean national allegedly asked for a total of P800,000 from the wife of slain South Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo supposedly to be split between the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) Anti-Kidnapping Group and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
AKG Chief Senior Superintendent Glenn Dumlao disclosed this at the resumption of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs’ investigation on Thursday into Jee’s kidnap-slay in Angeles, Pampanga last October 18.
Dumlao said they invited for questioning a Korean national, Edward Yu-on, for his alleged role in the case. He described Yu-on as a “person of interest” in the kidnap-slay case.
“After the abduction sir, after yung October 18, he approached the victim’s wife, Mrs. Choi, and asked P500,000 to fast-track the resolution of the case, according to him, at paghahatiian daw ng AKG at saka NBI and then another P100,000 after a few days, para ibigay daw sa AKG director,” the AKG chief told the committee.
(After the abduction, after October 18, he approached the victim’s wife, Mrs. Choi, and asked for P500,000 to fast-track the resolution of the case, according to him, which will be spilt between the AKG and the NBI, and then another P100,000 after a few days, to give to the AKG director.)
“And then after a few days, again bumalik na naman ito at humingi na naman ng P200,000 para daw sa LTO (Land Transportation Office),” Dumlao said.
(And then, after a few days, he returned to ask for P200,000 for the LTO.)
He said it was also Yu-on who allegedly induced Jee’s wife to pay the ransom to his kidnappers.
“(According to the interpreter of Mrs. Choi), in-encourage nya na to pay the ransom immediately so her husband would be released and then sinamahan po nila papunta ng pay off area in different vehicles,” Dumlao said, responding to Senator Panfilo Lacson’s queries.
(According to the interpreter or Mrs. Choi, he encouraged her to pay the ransom immediately so her husband would be released and then he accompanied her to the pay off area in different vehicles.)
“That means he’s no longer a person of interest, he’s directly involved,” Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III then commented.
Dumlao explained that when they first invited the Korean national for questioning, the victim’s wife had not told them yet about Yu-on’s involvement.
“Sabi ng attorney nya (Mrs. Choi) kaya ho hindi dinivulge sa amin dahil involved nga kami sa paghingi ng pera so parang natatakot po sa amin,” he said.
(Her attorney said that she did not divulge it to us because we are involved in asking for money, so she is afraid of us.)
Dumlao said their latest information was that Yu-on was in Angeles, Pampanga but said they were informed by their counterparts that the Korean national was nowhere to be found.
The AKG chief though clarified that their investigation on the kidnap-slay case found no involvement of a Korean mafia but said there were some Koreans who were acting as “foreign agents” or “pointers” of rogue cops. CDG/rga
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