PNP Supt. Rafael Dumlao during the Senate Hearing on the murder of Korean National Jee Ick-Joo. INQUIRER PHOTO/ ALEXIS CORPUZ INQUIRER PHOTO/ ALEXIS CORPUZ
The Angeles City Regional Trial Court (RTC) has found probable cause to justify the further detention of former anti-narcotics police officer Supt. Rafael P. Dumlao III and his coaccused Jerry Omlang, who were both tagged as among the people behind the death of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo in October 2016.
READ: Jee Ick-Joo slay: DOJ files raps vs Dumlao; one suspect cleared
Angeles RTC Branch 58 Judge Irineo P. Pangilinan Jr. issued the order based on the merit received by the court regarding the case.
“After an examination of the amended information, joint resolution and attached documents, the Court finds probable cause for the commitment of accused PSupt. Rafael Dumlao III aka “Sir Dumlao” and Jerry A. Omlang aka “Jerry,” the judge said in a two-page court order.
Dumlao, an anti-drug officer of the Philippine National Police (PNP), and Omlang, errand boy at the National Bureau of Investigation, have been included as co-accused in the case of kidnapping for ransom with homicide along with SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel and SPO4 Roy Villegas.
The court also issued an arrest warrant against Gerardo G. Santiago, owner of the Gream Funeral Services, where the body of Jee was taken.
Court records said Santiago has been included in the case as an accessory because Jee’s body was brought to his funeral home after the killing reportedly happened inside the PNP’s main headquarters in Camp Crame.
The court, however, granted Santiago’s request to reduce bail from P200,000 to P100,000.
The court has required all the accused to appear on May 31, for their arraignment.
Investigations revealed that Jee and his house help were abducted from the businessman’s house in Angeles City on October last year. Jee’s house help was released but he was strangled to death inside his SUV that was parked in Camp Crame.
Jee’s body was cremated and the ashes were flushed down a toilet, based on witnesses’ testimony.
Jee’s death prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to stop the police’s war on drugs and ordered PNP Chief Ronald dela Rosa to clean its ranks.
Police’s war on drugs operation resumed early this year. JPV