Bersamin orders intensified manhunt for cop tagged in Korean trader’s death
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin (PPA POOL / file )
MANILA, Philippines — Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin ordered law enforcement units to intensify their efforts to locate former police lieutenant colonel Rafael Dumlao III—the alleged mastermind in the abduction and and killing of Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo—after receiving information that the fugitive is still in the Philippines.
According to Bersamin, this development came after he, along with Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) executive director Gilbert Cruz, met with the Korean embassy and communities in the Philippines to address their concerns.
“Tapos later on, a few days after, we had a meeting attended by some other cabinet secretaries and again this was brought to our attention. It was made clear to us by the immigration people that their records showed Col. Dumlao remains in the Philippines,” Bersamin said in an ambush interview on Sunday.
“I told them to intensify the search for him. We should not hesitate and give our full attention to this case. So that’s the latest as far as this goes, that is my commitment to the Koreans,” he added in Filipino.
Based on reports, Jee was strangled inside his car parked at the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City. Jee was later cremated and his ashes were flushed down to a toilet.
In July last year, the Supreme Court (SC) announced that the Court of Appeals (CA) reversed the decision of an Angeles City court to acquit Dumlao.
The SC said the CA sentenced the dismissed police officer to reclusion perpetua, or 20 to 40 years in prison, without parole.
Dumalo was also ordered to pay Jee’s family P350,000 in damages for kidnapping with homicide.
