Authorities yesterday affirmed the existence of an alleged organized group of Koreans involved in the kidnapping and abduction of their compatriots living here in the country.
Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) Superintendent Glenn Dumlao disclosed this at the resumption of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs hearing into the controversial killing of Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo.
Jee was killed inside the national police headquarters last Oct. 18, 1980.
Dumlao said that based on their investigation, they invited for questioning, a certain Edward Yo-on, “a person of interest,” in the Jee kidnapping case, whom they said approached the victim’s wife, Mrs. Choi Hyeung-jin and purportedly asked her to shell out a total of P800,000 supposedly to be given to the PNP-AKG, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
“After the abduction, after October 18 (2016), he approached the victim’s wife, Mrs. Choi, and asked for P500,000 to fast-track the resolution of the case, according to him, which will be spilt between the AKG and the NBI, and then another P100,000 after a few days, to be given to the AKG director,” Dumlao said in his testimony before the Senate panel headed by Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson.
“And then after a few days, he went back and asked another P200,000 for the LTO,” Dumlao added.
According to Dumlao, it was also Yo-on who allegedly persuaded Jee’s wife to pay the ransom money to his kidnappers and even accompanied her during the pay off.
Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III commented Yu-on is no longer a “person of interest” because now “he’s directly involved.” (Hannah L. Torregoza)