‘Tokhang for ransom’: Isolated case or rogue cops’ new cash cow?

PRIMARY SUSPECT SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel escorted out of the NBI for transfer to Camp Crame–ALEXIS CORPUZ/PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER FILE

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson is bent on finding out whether the “tokhang for ransom” case of a slain Korean businessman abducted in the guise of a drug raid to extort money from his family was an isolated case, saying several other complainants were coming forward with information about similar incidents involving police scalawags.

Lacson, chair of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, said Tuesday this would be on top of the agenda when he leads a legislative inquiry Thursday into the “tokhang for ransom” incident, the first high profile case that came to light earlier this month in an exclusive Inquirer report.

BACKSTORY: Is Sokor businessman victim of ‘tokhang for ransom?’

“Is that an isolated case? The case of the Korean? Or were there other similar incidents?,” Lacson told reporters.

“As it is now, based on information or letters even that we have received, there are several incidents that are coming to the surface, and we want to find out if these really happened,” said the official, a former national police chief and Presidential anti-crime czar.

The killing of Korean businessman Jee Ick-Joo right inside the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters in Camp Crame allegedly by anti-drug operatives on Oct. 18 last year has brought shame to the PNP leadership, even spurring calls for PNP chief Director-General Ronald dela Rosa to resign.

Investigation found out that Jee, who was taken from his Angeles City on the same date for his alleged drug links, was killed at the camp, his face covered in packaging tape and then strangled. The kidnappers who murdered him, allegedly led by SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel, then had this body cremated.

READ: Kidnapped Korean strangled inside Camp Crame

The group still demanded ransom from his wife, who paid without the knowledge of investigators on Oct. 31, 13 days after he was killed.

Lacson said his office has received several letters pointing to similar cases, including one in Pasay City and in Cebu. He earlier bared that a Filipino-Chinese friend had also fallen for the racket, and that he was only released after ransom payment when he coordinated PNP response to the case.

“People know that we are going to have a hearing so they are volunteering information. And we want to find if this is common place. If this is common place, we have a real problem. ,” Lacson said.

“Because if this is not isolated and many incidents are happening, this is a big problem not just of the police but of all of us, because the implication is that there might be impunity, and they are using the fight against illegal drugs for their self-aggrandizement,” he said./rga

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