Senator Ping Lacson welcomed the arrest of a former police official tagged as the mastermind in the abduction and killing of Korean trader Jee Ick Joo, nearly a decade after the crime.
The veteran legislator, who initiated and chaired the Senate probe that led to the filing of charges against those involved, said the arrest of former Police Lt. Col. Rafael Dumlao III showed law enforcement “never sleeps”.
“The long arm of the law is always stretched to close in and snatch its quarry.”
“Law enforcement never sleeps. The long arm of the law is always stretched to close in and snatch its quarry,” Lacson, who served as Philippine National Police chief from 1999 to 2001, said in a post on X.
The seasoned lawmaker also reiterated the need for the PNP to continue its internal cleansing efforts, so cases similar to those of Jee would not happen again.
When he chaired the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, he filed Senate Resolution 265, seeking an investigation in aid of legislation into Jee’s abduction and killing – among other reported incidents of kidnap-for-ransom perpetrated by PNP personnel in the guise of enforcing “Project Tokhang,” the Duterte administration’s anti-drug war.
The Senate inquiry and investigation led to the filing of criminal charges against Dumlao and other personalities.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla announced the arrest of Dumlao in a house in Quezon City before dawn Tuesday. Dumlao was dismissed from the service in 2018.
Jee was reported kidnapped from his home in Angeles City in October 2016, but investigation showed he was killed inside PNP headquarters in Camp Crame.
“Jee’s killing is probably the most unwelcome wake-up call for then PNP chief Ronald de la Rosa.”
Lacson initially described Jee’s killing as “probably the most unwelcome wake-up call” for then PNP chief Ronald de la Rosa. The senator exhorted the PNP leadership to address the issue by “going hammer and tongs against all rogue cops who only care about their personal gains to the detriment of the entire police organization.”
“(When I was the Chief PNP), I really hit hard on the inept, corrupt and undisciplined policemen, regardless of rank, or what I referred to at that time as ICUs. My primary concern was to do justice to the sacrifices of the overwhelmingly many honest and hardworking police officers,” he added.
