Camp Crame memorial marker confronts PNP’s ‘darkest chapter’

The chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Thursday that the new memorial marker for a slain South Korean businessman inside Camp Crame will serve as a permanent admission of institutional failure and a binding pledge to reform the police force.

PNP chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. described the upcoming installation for Jee Ick Joo as a “solemn acknowledgment” of a case that exposed one of the darkest chapters in the history of the PNP.

To recall, Jee was abducted by rogue officers and killed inside the PNP headquarters nearly a decade ago.

“We cannot change the past, but we can honor the victim, uphold accountability, and reaffirm our commitment that such abuses of authority will never be tolerated again,” Nartatez said.

According to Nartatez, the monument reflects a willingness by current leadership to openly confront the organization’s history rather than hide from it.

He framed the gesture as part of a broader push for professionalism and public trust directed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla.

The decision to install the marker inside the Police Community Affairs and Development Group compound followed a personal request from Jee’s widow, Choi Kyung Jin, during a recent visit alongside South Korean Ambassador Lee Sang-hwa.

Nartatez cited that the recent arrest of former police Lt. Col. Rafael Dumlao III, one of the alleged masterminds behind the October 2016 strangulation of Jee, has brought the family a renewed sense of justice.

While acknowledging that a physical marker cannot erase the trauma of the state-sponsored crime, Nartatez emphasized that it must serve as a functional lesson for the future of Philippine law enforcement.

“Trust is earned through accountability, transparency, and consistent reforms,” Nartatez said.

“While this memorial cannot erase the pain caused by the crime, it symbolizes our willingness to remember, learn from our mistakes, and continue strengthening the institution so the public can have greater confidence in the Philippine National Police,” he added.