Several officials of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) have been removed from their posts over the kidnap-slay of Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo.
NBI Director Dante Gierran gave the order following serious allegations raised by one of the suspects in the case, Superintendent Rafael Dumlao III of the now defunct Anti-Illegal Drugs Group (AIDG) of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
“Because of the allegations/statements of PSupt. Rafael Dumlao III that some NBI people might be involved in the kidnapping and killing of Korean Jee Ick Joo, NBI Director Dante Gierran, relieved and reshuffled some top officials of the NBI,” read the NBI statement.
NBI National Capital Region’s (NBI-NCR) Director Ricardo Diaz was “relieved of his duties and returned to his mother unit, the Regional Operations Service.”
Assistant Regional Director Rommel Vallejo took over as NBI-NCR officer-in-charge.
NBI-NCR head agent Darwin Lising was also relieved and was moved to NBI Bicol.
Lawyer Jose Yap was also “relieved of his duties as Deputy Director for Investigative Services” and reassigned as officer-in-charge of the Information and Communications Technology Division (ICTD).
Deputy Director for Intelligence Vicente De Guzman III took over Yap’s post. With this, Sixto Burgos became Deputy Director for Intelligence.
Also, NBI Task Force Against Illegal Drugs head lawyer Roel Bolivar has been assigned to the NBI Clearance and replaced by lawyer Jonathan Garcia.
Meanwhile, Gierran personally talked with PNP Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa and “agreed to jointly work to solve the kidnapping and killing of Korean Jee Ick Joo.”
“Both police agencies each named a team leader for the joint investigation,” Gierran said.
The PNP probe team is headed by Senior Supt. Glenn Dumlao while the NBI team is led by lawyer Medardo Delemos.
(JEFFREY G. DAMICOG)