DUTERTE
The suspects behind the grisly killing of South Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo will be punished to the fullest extent of the law, President Rodrigo Duterte assured Thursday.
In a speech peppered with expletives during the inauguration of a power plant in Saranggani, Duterte turned soft when he formally apologized for the death of Jee.
“I apologize for the death of your compatriot. We are very sorry that it had to happen,” he said.
“But I can assure you, those responsible are known to us already and they will have to go to prison and I will see to it that they will be sentenced to the maximum,” he added.
Jee was covered with packaging tape and then strangled to death by members antidrug policemen inside Camp Crame in Quezon City.
Duterte warned the policemen involved that they would suffer for the death of the Korean national.
“T****** kayong pulis, bantay kayo, hindi ko kayo papalusutin (Watch out, I won’t let you get away with this). You will suffer. Maybe I can send your heads to South Korea,” he said.
Senator Panfilo Lacson presented a video during a Senate hearing on Thursday which he said showed that the kidnap-slay of a Korean businessman was not only an “isolated” case but that there were indeed alleged “excesses” being committed by some policemen.
“I have in my possession a CCTV, video ng iba pang ginagawa ng mga pulis natin but on second thought sabi ko wala namang mas sasama pa dito sa nagyari sa Korean so just for your information and to make it on the record sa komite natin dito na hindi isolated at maraming nagyayaring ganito,” Lacson said during the hearing of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, which he chairs.
Lacson said he also received a report from Teresita Ang See of the Movement for Restoration of Peace and Order of 12 other victims of alleged “hulidap” activities by rogue cops.
He cited at least two victims who were still arrested and charged for illegal drugs supposedly even after paying the amount demanded by the police.