The retired policeman, who owns the funeral parlor where the body of slain Korean Jee Ick Joo was taken and cremated, surrendered yesterday to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre said that retired policeman-turned barangay chairman Gerardo “Ding” Santiago surrendered following his arrival in the country at 6 a.m. yesterday from Pearson Airport in Toronto, Canada.
“Preliminarily, because of the threats to his life, he will be placed under the protective custody of the NBI,” stated Aguirre.
Santiago is the owner of Gream Funeral Services in Caloocan City where Jee’s body was taken by suspect SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel and allegedly cremated.
“The return of Mr. Santiago augurs well for our collective search for the truth behind the dastardly act committed against the person of the late Mr. Jee Ick Joo. It is a most welcome development,” Aguirre said.
“We assure the Filipino people and our Korean friends that earnest efforts will be exerted to bring the real perpetrators to justice,” he added.
Santiago flew to Canada on January 11 the same day Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Roland “Bato” dela Rosa exposed the kidnapping of Jee.
Prior to Santiago’s return to the Philippines, Aguirre received last week surrender feelers from Santiago via trusted intermediaries.
“He requested that he be secured upon his arrival,” Aguirre said.
The Department of Justice (DoJ) has already filed before the Angeles City court kidnapping for ransom with homicide charges against suspects Sta. Isabel, SPO4 Roy Villegas, Ramon Yalong; and four other persons only known through aliases Pulis, Jerry, Sir Dumlao, and Ding. Both Sta. Isabel and Villegas are now in the custody of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
Records show that on October 18, 2016, policemen took Jee and his household helper, Marisa Morquicho, from his house at Friendship Plaza Subdivision in Angeles City, Pampanga, under the guise of carrying out “Oplan Tokhang, the government anti-illegal drugs operation. They were taken to Camp Crame in Quezon City where Jee was killed while Morquicho was released the following morning in Cubao, Quezon City.
Villegas claimed in his statement that after Jee was killed, “respondent (Sta. Maria) called up @Ding who agreed to receive the body of the victim in exchange for PhP30,000.00 and a golf set.”
“They brought the body of the victim to a funeral parlor. They also disposed the cellular phones of the victim and the female person upon the instruction of respondent Sta. Isabel,” the DoJ said in its resolution.
(JEFFREY G. DAMICOG)