Former police officer Rafael Dumlao III, who was convicted of masterminding the 2016 kidnapping and killing of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo, was arrested in Quezon City on Tuesday morning, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla announced.
Dumlao’s arrest was carried out by the Philippine National Police following a Court of Appeals ruling that reversed his earlier acquittal and sentenced him to reclusion perpetua without eligibility for parole.
The Supreme Court later denied his petitions challenging the appellate court’s decision, paving the way for the implementation of the arrest warrant.
Jee was kidnapped for ransom and later killed inside Camp Crame, headquarters of the Philippine National Police, in a case that drew widespread outrage and international attention.
Remulla described the crime as a grave abuse of “Oplan Tokhang,” the anti-drug campaign implemented during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
According to Remulla, Dumlao did not resist arrest, although authorities recovered a firearm in his possession. Police also seized his laptop and mobile phone, which investigators will examine to determine whether individuals assisted him while he was in hiding.
Wedding breakthrough
Remulla revealed that authorities began closely monitoring Dumlao’s movements after his daughter’s wedding last Sunday. Although Dumlao did not attend the ceremony, investigators believed he watched the event through a Facebook livestream.
“It was the wedding of his daughter last Sunday. From then on, we tracked his movements. We verified whether it was really him, and it appeared that he was watching his daughter’s wedding through Facebook Live,” Remulla said.
