Angeles Court orders justice department to reinvestigate Korean case

January 30, 2017

The Angeles City regional trial court has ordered the justice department to reinvestigate  the case involving the kidnapping and killing of South Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo in October 2016.

In an order, Judge  Irineo Pangilinan Jr. ordered the justice department to conduct another preliminary investigation on the charges of kidnapping for ransom with homicide against Senior Police Officer 3 Ricky Sta. Isabel and other police officers tagged in the case.

The lower court granted the appeal of Sta. Isabel last week questioning his indictment by the justice department.

In his motion for reinvestigation, Sta. Isabel said he was deprived of his constitutional right to due process because the prosecutor filed the case in court earlier January when the preliminary investigation was set next month.

Sta. Isabel’s co-accused -- Senior Police Officer 4 Roy Villegas and Ramon Yalung – adopted his motion and sought reinvestigation.

The prosecutors composed of Senior Assistant State Prosecutors Juan Pedro Navera and Olivia Torrevillas did not oppose this motion.

Pangilinan gave the DOJ 60 days or until March 3 to "to conduct the reinvestigation and to submit the the resolution."

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

The court also granted the appeal of Sta.Isabel to be returned to the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) from Camp Crame.

In his motion filed through the Public Attorneys Office, Sta. Isabel said he does not feel safe in Camp Crame after he implicated several senior officials, including his superiors  Superintendent Rafael Dumlao and Senior Supt. Allan Macapagal of the Anti-Kidnapping Group. DMS