A South Korean businessman kidnapped by Philippine policemen under the guise of a raid on illegal drugs was murdered at the national police headquarters in Manila, authorities said Thursday. / AFP PHOTO / NOEL CELIS
(Eagle News) — Policemen have now fetched from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) the main cop suspect in the abduction and killing of a Korean businessman last year.
After an Angeles City court issued an arrest warrant for SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel and other cops involved in the crime, a team from the Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group went to the NBI to serve the arrest warrant on Sta. Isabel.
Sta. Isabel had initially sought protective custody of the NBI shortly after he surrendered this week.
Those also named in the arrest warrant were SPO4 Roy Villegas, SPO4 Ramon Yalung, and four people identified only under the aliases “Pulis,” Jerry, Sir Dumlao and Ding.
The arrest warrant was issued by the Angeles Regional Trial Court Branch 58.
The Department of Justice filed the case of kidnapping for ransom with homicide early Friday (January 20) against Sta. Isabel and his companions.
The DOJ relied on the testimonies of Villegas, PO2 Christopher Baldovino, Jee’s wife Choi Kyu Jin, and their househelp Marisa Morquicho to establish probable cause against the suspects.
Villegas, in his testimony, said it was Sta. Isabel who strangled the Korean businessman to death in the premises of Camp Crame, the headquarters of the PNP. The body was later brought to a crematorium.