SPO3 Sta. Isabel’s superior relieved

MANILA, Philippines - One of the leaders of the Philippine National Police-Anti-Illegal Drugs Group (PNP-AIDG) was relieved from his post and placed under restrictive custody after he was implicated in the kidnapping and killing of a South Korean businessman.

PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa ordered Supt. Rafael Dumlao III to be placed on “freezer” status under the custody of the PNP’s Headquarters Support Service.

This means Dumlao has to inform his superiors and must be accompanied by a police escort if he wishes to leave the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame.

Dumlao was among the police officials tagged in the killing of Jee Ick-joo last Oct. 18.

A government investigation identified the alleged killer as SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel, an operative of the AIDG.

Sta. Isabel accused Dumlao, the former's team leader, of ordering the killing of the Korean businessman.

The policemen detained Jee with a fake arrest warrant last October with the intent of holding him for ransom, but killed him the same day. They managed to extract a ransom payment from Jee’s family without telling them Jee was dead.

Dumlao denied his subordinate’s allegation, saying there were witnesses pointing to Sta. Isabel as the killer.

“Contrary to the evidence at hand and the witnesses’ account, everybody is pointing at him,” Dumlao said in a TV interview.

Dela Rosa yesterday said he had already talked with Dumlao.

Dela Rosa said he had the impression that Dumlao is lying. “He is hiding something,” he said.

Dela Rosa, citing the information from a witness, said Sta. Isabel and Dumlao were there when Jee was killed inside the AIDG headquarters in Camp Crame.

He did not reveal other details provided by the witness, who is now in their custody.

According to Dela Rosa, Sta. Isabel threatened to take everyone involved in Jee’s murder down with him if someone speaks out.

“He was threatening Dumlao and his companions,” Dela Rosa said of Sta. Isabel.

Dela Rosa said Sta. Isabel had warned his fellow officers that he knows the location of their respective families. “Now he is trying to become the least guilty person.”

Even Sta. Isabel’s defense counsel withdrew from the case, allegedly because he was receiving death threats.

Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) chief Persida Acosta did not name the lawyer but confirmed he withdrew from the case because of the threats he is getting.

The PAO assigned two lawyers to handle Sta. Isabel’s case.

Sta. Isabel was detained at the National Bureau of Investigation main office in Manila before he was taken into custody by the PNP-Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG).

Two PAO lawyers arrived at the NBI as the AKG served the copy of the arrest warrant against Sta. Isabel and seven others issued by the Angeles City, Pampanga Regional Trial Court Branch 58.

“The NBI drafted Sta. Isabel’s statement in the presence of two lawyers,” a source said, referring to the PAO lawyers.

The Department of Justice on Friday filed the case against Sta. Isabel, SPO4 Roy Villegas, Ramon Yalung and four other policemen who were only identified as “Pulis,” “Jerry,” “Sir Dumlao” and “Ding.”