3 NBI officials submit counter-affidavits on DOJ reinvestigation of Jee kidnap-slay case

MANILA—Three National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) officials on Friday appeared at the resumption of the Department of Justice (DOJ) reinvestigation of the kidnap-slay case of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo.

NBI officials – former NBI deputy director for investigation services Jose “Jojo” Yap; former National Capital Region (NCR) director Ricardo Diaz and former Task Force against Illegal Drugs head Roel Bolivar – have been named as respondents in the kidnapping for ransom and serious illegal detention with homicide charges.

Superintendent Rafael Dumlao, former official of the Philippine National Police Anti-Illegal Drugs Group (AIDG) revealed in his affidavit that he mentioned three NBI officials involved in the incident.

The three NBI officials accompanied by their lawyer – former Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board chairman Winston Ginez.

The other respondents who also filed counter-affidavits are Gream funeral services employees Epephany Gotera, Teodolito Macato Tarepe, Kevin Enriquez, Robert John Tobias, and Bernardo Maraya Jr.

SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel, one of the principal suspects in the case, had admitted taking the remains of Jee to Gream for disposal. Gream Funeral is owned by Gerardo Santiago who is also one of the respondents.

Sta. Isabel and fellow co-respondent, SPO4 Roy Villegas, submitted their respective supplemental counter-affidavits to add to their counter-affidavits that they previously filed.

The DOJ panel, composed of Senior Assistant State Prosecutors Juan Pedro Navera and Olivia Torrevillas, the one who handles the re-investigation, received the counter-affidavits.

During the hearing, Navera no longer allowed additional documents to be filed by the parties in the case before the panel of prosecutors.

Navera only allowed one of the respondents in the case, Senior Supt. Allan Macapagal of the Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG), to file his counter-affidavit on March 17.

Macapal, who was tagged by the Sta. Isabel in his affidavit submitted to the DoJ, was not present during Friday’s hearing due to a reassignment.

“After several manifestations, all the parties agreed to the ruling of the panel that the case is now submitted for resolution except for Supt. Allan Macapagal who will submit his counter-affidavit on March 17, 2017 at 2:00 p.m.,” read the minutes of Navera.

Since the Pampanga Regional Trial Court Branch 58 only gave prosecutors 60 days within which “to conduct the reinvestigation and to submit the resolution, Navera said that it would be “bordering on contempt if we extend beyond the April 19 deadline.”

To recall, the Jan. 17 resolution, penned by Torrevillas, only named three accused in the kidnapping for ransom with homicide case: Sta. Isabel, Villegas and Yalung while other suspects tagged in the case were identified only through aliases “Pulis,” “Ding,” “Jerry,” and “Sir Dumlao.”

The resolution was received by the Pampanga Regional Trial Court Branch 58.

The court also reset the arraignment of the accused to April 19.