Senator Gordon Wants to Investigate the Murder of Jee Ick Joo

Senator Richard J. Gordon yesterday warned that the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee will investigate the kidnap/slay of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo if no one will be investigated, charged and prosecuted for the murder.

While noting that the Senate is not a criminal investigating body, Gordon said that going by the latest development in the case, it would be prudent to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation if the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will not prosecute.

“I will investigate because the latest reports on the case behooves me to conduct an inquiry. Before the new developments came out, I was considering investigation only if there will be no prosecution made since, as I have repeatedly pointed out, the Senate is not a criminal investigation body,” he said.

The Blue Ribbon Committee, which Gordon chairs, is the only Senate committee which has the authority to conduct “motu proprio” investigations on issues of public interest.

The Department of Justice found probable cause to file kidnapping for ransom with homicide against two policemen and five others in connection with the Jee kidnap-slay incident. The NBI, an attached agency of the DOJ, was tasked to investigate the kidnapping and murder of Jee, who was abducted together with his househelp from his home in Angeles City, Pampanga by armed men on October 18, 2016.

Facing charges for the heinous slay of Jee Ick Joo are SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel, SPO4 Roy Villegas, Ramon Yalung and four persons identified only under the aliases “Pulis,” “Jerry,” “Sir Dumlao” and “Ding.”

On Thursday, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa said the South Korean businessman was killed inside Camp Crame. Dela Rosa’s statement was backed by Villegas’ testimony.

According to the DOJ resolution, Jee was brought to Camp Crame after he was abducted from his home.

Villegas said he overheard SPO3 Sta. Isabel talking with a certain Sir Dumlao. Villegas added Sta. Isabel brought packaging tape and surgical gloves and instructed them to cover Jee’s head.

Villegas alleged that he saw respondent Sta. Isabel strangling and killing the victim. He also claimed that after Jee was killed, Sta. Isabel called up Gerardo Gregorio “Ding”” Santiago, the owner of Gream Funeral Parlor in Brgy. Bagbaguin, Caloocan City. Santiago agreed to receive Jee’s body in exchange for P30,000 and a golf set, which was recovered by the police during a search operation on Wednesday.

Villegas said he thought all along that the surveillance and police operations which he participated in were legitimate police operations.

Jee’s wife Choi Kyung Jin said eight armed men, including Sta. Isabel who is connected with the PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Group, took their personal property, jewelry, and her passport. ●