VACC asks Congress to probe Korean businessman’s murder
The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) has asked the House of Representatives to look into the kidnapping and murder of Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo.
In a letter addressed to House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, VACC Chairman Dante Jimenez said their group is “alarmed” that “despite the ransom paid,” the former Hanjin executive was killed and his body cremated at a funeral parlor in Caloocan City. He cited reports that the ashes were flushed down the toilet to get rid of the evidence.
“VACC would like to request for a House investigation into the case of the South Korean national’s kidnapping and murder which showed that the KFR (kidnap for ransom) syndicated with disgusting impunity have become more creative in perpetrating their criminal activities to evade prosecution,” he said in the letter.
Jimenez said what happened has “serious repercussions in our system of laws.”
READ: Kidnapped Korean strangled inside Camp Crame
He said Congress should come up with measures to prevent the groups from using the “corpus delicti” as a defense or alibi. Corpus delicti refers to the “body of the crime” and the need to present evidence such as a corpse to prove that a crime was committed.
He also suggested that the cremation procedure in the country be suspended “until a clear and secured policy and guidelines are drawn to protect the dead bodies from further abuse by criminals and criminal syndicates.”
Jee Ick-joo was abducted on October 18. His wife paid a ransom of P5 million but the abductors, which included several policemen, did not release him. It was later revealed that he was strangled inside Camp Crame and his body was brought to a funeral parlor to be disposed. CDG
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