DOJ assigns new prosecutor in alleged kidnapping of Korean trader

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday assigned a new prosecutor to take charge of the alleged kidnapping of a South Korean businessman in Angeles City three months ago.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II has appointed prosecution attorney Loverhette Jeffrey Villordon as head of the prosecution team looking into the abduction of businessman Jee Ick-joo by an antidrug police team.

Aguirre said he was surprised why Assistant State Prosecutor Hjalmar Quintana had inhibited from the case.

The main suspect in the case, Senior Police Officer 3 Ricky Sta. Isabel, has reportedly accused Quintana of being biased against his antidrug tream.

Aguirre said Sta. Isabel, a member of the PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Group, went AWOL in the past few months but surfaced immediately after the police ordered for a manhunt against him. Sta. Isabel has denied all the charges against him but the justice secretary said this was not enough to dispute charges and evidence against him.

“I have met with the South Korean ambassador and Police Chief Bato Dela Rosa. We’re looking seriously into the case and the circumstances,” said Aguirre.

Aguirre said that he also urged Dela Rosa to come up with safeguards to prevent dirty policemen from using President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to go hard on drug lords and pushers as a ruse to carry out their criminal activities.

Aguirre said that it was important to protect the integrity of the President’s antidrug program from crooked members of the police.