NBI agent, volunteer ‘who withdrew cash’ from slain Korean’s ATM probed

NBI building (INQUIRER.NET FILE PHOTO)

MANILA — Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II has said an agent of the National Bureau of Investigation and a “volunteer” who ran errands at the NBI are under probe for the abduction and murder of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo.

He identified them as agent Darwin Lising and Jerry Omlang. Aguirre said Omlang has been implicated in the case as the alias Jerry. Lising, who worked with Omlang in 2007, will be subjected to questioning.

“Nag issue ng directive si (NBI) Director Dante Gierran for the questioning or investigation relative to this case kay Attorney Darwin Lising [NBI Director Dante Gierran issued a directive for the questioning or investigation of Attorney Darwin Lising relative to this case],” Aguirre said.

Aguirre said on Monday Lising had no known participation in the case “but anyway he will still be subject to an investigation.”

Lising and Omlang faced the media at a press conference hours after President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to sack NBI Director Dante Gierran should he fail to present the “three NBI assets” reportedly involved in the case.

“We have to validate the intelligence information. Apparently, we have only identified two,” Aguirre explained.

Lising vehemently denied any involvement in the case but he admitted to working with Omlang in 2007. He also said he knew Supt. Rafael Dumlao’s wife because she’s an agent in the bureau.

Lising described Omlang as a “mere volunteer” at the bureau whose main task was to run errands, such as making cups of coffee. Lising said he did not know Omlang’s background and how he started volunteering at the NBI.

Volunteers at the bureau have no paper trail, according to Lising.

He said he convinced Omlang to surrender to the NBI after the latter received death threats. Omlang said Dumlao had been sending him death threats.

Omlang tagged Dumlao as the “mastermind” in Jee’s abduction. He also said his co-accused SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel was the one who hired him.

Omlang said he participated in the case by withdrawing money from Jee’s bank account and conducting surveillance before the abduction.

‘No agent involved’

Gierran vehemently denied that NBI agents were involved in the crime. He also welcomed Omlang’s surrender as a good way to “solve loose ends” in what appeared to be conflicting investigation results of the PNP and NBI.

Gierran also they also found out that Sta. Isabel has been “lying.”

“The case previously filed by the police has been bolstered by the appearance of Jerry Omlang,” Gierran said, adding that contrary to Sta. Isabel’s claim, he was at Jee’s house when the businessman was abducted.  SFM/rga