Malacañang has ordered law enforcement agencies to hasten the arrest of former police Lt. Col. Rafael Dumlao III who has been implicated in the kidnap-slay of South Korean businessman Jee2016 Ick Joo.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin issued the order last with a view to helping the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) maintain public trust and boost coordination with with international partners in the resolution of high-profile cases involving foreign nationals.
The killings and other cases were mentioned during a recent meeting between Philippine and South Korean officials, Bersamin said in an interview at the sideline of their meeting in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
“There are other immediate [things] that are being discussed, that’s why I’m bringing this to your attention because it was in 2016 and this murder happened inside Camp Crame,” Bersamin said.
He added that he was surprised Dumlao had remained at large and that he decided a manhunt “is the only” solution to finding the cashiered police official.
“If he does not fully surrender, then he runs the risk of a full-scale manhunt,” Bersamin stressed.
He said there were no Immigration records showing Dumlao had left the country. Nevertheless, he acknowledged the possibility that Dumlao had snuck out.
“We’re not discounting that he’s no longer here,” he said.
Bersamin, who also chairs the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) .said a P1-million bounty has been raised Dumlao’s arrest.
In 2024, the Court of Appeals (CA) reversed the acquittal of Dumlao in the kidnapping with murder of Jee, and sentenced the policeman to life in prison.
According to the Supreme Court, the CA 13th Division granted the petition of the government and sentenced Dumlao to capital punishment without eligibility for parole.
Jee was abducted from his Angeles City residence on October 18, 2016 by armed men purporting to carry out an anti-drug operation.
The victim was subsequently found strangled to death right inside the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame where his remains were burned and flushed down the toilet.
However, the crime resurfaced following a high-level inter-agency dialogue led by PAOCC Executive Director Gilberto Cruz on May 22.
The meeting at Camp Crame involved the PNP, the Korean Embassy, consular officials, and representatives from the Department of Tourism to closely coordinate the planning for the arrest and resolving of the case involving Filipino Police officials and Korean nationals.
“This emphasized that the (resolution) of every case greatly relies on the continual close coordination of all law enforcement and government agencies, whether at the local or national levels,” the PAOCC said.
Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartaez Jr., PNP deputy chief for administration, reiterated their “continuous commitment” on pursuing all leads and holding perpetrators accountable, citing close coordination among agencies as key to success.
The dialogue focused on crafting a unified response to the “increasingly violent acts centered on South Korean nationals,” especially in tourist-heavy areas such as Angeles City, Taguig City and Cebu City.
There were three recent incidents involving Korean nationals in the country; an armed robbery in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig last May 18; a robbery and attempted murder in Pampanga on May 7, and another case on April 21.
In response, the PNP said suspects in the Pampanga incident have already been arrested after being identified through CCTV footage. Authorities confirmed the suspects were also linked to other robberies in the area.
Meanwhile, the Southern Police District (SPD), through the Taguig City Police Station, has its hands full solving a robbery
case involving two Korean nationals on May 18 near One Park Drive, Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.
Taguig police immediately initiated a coordinated investigation, including CCTV backtracking and extensive fieldwork across nearby areas.
According to the SPD, the operation led to the identification of suspects through surveillance footage and the rogue gallery.
“The victims positively identified the suspects during the gallery presentation, further strengthening the case,” the SPD said in their released statement.
On May 21, 2025, a robbery charge was formally filed before the Taguig City Prosecutor’s Office.