THE Department of Justice will hold its final preliminary investigation of the kidnapping and killing of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo on March 17, after which the case is deemed submitted for resolution.
During the hearing, the DoJ’s panel composed of Senior Assistant State Prosecutors Juan Pedro Navera and Olivia Torrevillas stressed they will no longer receive additional documents from parties, except for respondent Senior Supt. Allan Macapagal of the Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group who was given until March 17 to file his counter-affidavit.
Macapagal, who was tagged by SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel in his affidavit submitted to the DoJ, was not present 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.,” Navera said.
Since the Angeles City Regional Trial Court Branch 58 only gave prosecutors 60 days “to conduct the reinvestigation and to submit the resolution, Navera stressed that it will be “bordering on contempt if we extend beyond the April 19 deadline.”
The three National Bureau of Investigation officials—former NBI deputy director for investigation services Jose “Jojo” Yap; former National Capital Region director Ricardo Diaz and former Task Force against Illegal Drugs head Roel Bolivar—submitted their counter-affidavits on Friday in the charges on the kidnapping for ransom and serious illegal detention with homicide case.
Superintendent Rafael Dumlao, former official of the Philippine National Police Anti-Illegal Drugs Group, mentioned in his affidavit the involvement of the three NBI officials in the incident.
The other respondents who also filed counter-affidavits were Gream funeral services employees Epephany Gotera, Teodolito Macato Tarepe, Kevin Enriquez, Robert John Tobias, and Bernardo Maraya Jr.
Sta. Isabel, one of the respondents in the case, admitted taking the remains of Jee to Gream for disposal. It 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.
It can be recalled that the DoJ earlier 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 the basis of the complaint filed against the respondents before the Angeles City Regional Trial Court Branch 58. But the court granted primary suspect Sta. Isabel’s request for reinvestigation of the kidnap-slay case.