South Korean PM thanks Pres. Duterte for PHL’s apology for Jee’s killing

”Prime Minister Hwang also requested that I extend his gratitude and appreciation to President Duterte,” Panelo told the Palace media on Monday, a day after he arrived from South Korea. (Photo: 황교안 Hwang Kyo-ahn / Facebook)

MANILA –South Korean Prime Minister and Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn has expressed gratitude and appreciation to President Rodrigo Duterte for sending presidential legal adviser Salvador Panelo to convey Filipino people’s apology for the killing of Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo.

”Prime Minister Hwang also requested that I extend his gratitude and appreciation to President Duterte,” Panelo told the Palace media on Monday, a day after he arrived from South Korea.

Panelo said the Korean leader thank him for conveying the message of apology by the Philippine government.

”He said that he will share President Duterte’s words of comfort to the Korean people,” Panelo said

Panelo said he and Hwang agreed that the unfortunate death of Jee at the hands of the supposed police scalawags inside Philippine National Police (PNP)’s headquarters at Camp Crame shall serve as an opportunity to cultivate deeper relations between the Philippines and South Korea.

President Duterte had asked Panelo to personally convey the profound and sincerest apology of the Philippine government to the Korean government and its people following the abduction and killing of Jee in October last year.

Panelo has also relayed to Hwang the government’s commitment to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law the persons responsible for the murder of Jee.

”I also told him that our countrymen share in their sorrow and grief over the brutal slaying of their countryman and expressed our regrets for its occurrence,” Panelo said.

”I likewise expressed our government’s resolve to go after the criminals molesting, harassing, kidnaping and assaulting Koreans in our country,” he added.

The exposure of Jee’s slaying has prompted President Duterte to remove from police all the anti-illegal drug operations in the country.