5 men convicted for 2014 Korean kidnap-slay case
MANILA, Philippines — A Manila court has convicted five individuals of kidnapping and killing South Korean national Ji Won-lee, sentencing them to reclusion perpetua without eligibility for parole.
In a 21-page decision of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 47 promulgated on Feb. 18, a copy of which was provided by the Department of Justice on Monday, Judge Benedict Medina found Ronel Mongado, Rowel Mongado, Alex Buenaobra, Jimmy Manlapaz and Sergio Natad guilty of kidnapping for ransom with homicide.
The court ordered the convicts to pay Lee’s heirs P100,000 in civil indemnity, P100,000 in moral damages, and P100,000 in exemplary damages.
Another accused, Jullie-Ann Traboco, was found guilty of being an accessory to the crime. She was sentenced to an indeterminate penalty of a minimum of five years, 10 months and one day of prision correccional to a maximum of eight years, 11 months and one day of prision mayor.
She was also ordered to pay the victim’s heirs P12,500 each in civil indemnity, moral damages and exemplary damages.
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2 more at large
Two individuals, Rene Natad and a certain alias “Paks,” remain at large. The court has issued a warrant for their arrest.
According to court records, Lee was abducted on March 3, 2014, after boarding a taxi in Manila. Her kidnappers initially demanded P10 million in ransom but later reduced the amount to P300,000.
Despite partial payments made by her family, Lee was killed, and her body was later found inside a septic tank at a house in Bulacan.
Joseph Armesin, initially one of the accused, turned state witness in exchange for immunity.
The court ruled that all elements of the crime had been met, including illegal deprivation of liberty, a ransom demand and the victim’s killing.
“Culled from the evidence presented, all the foregoing elements of the crime were established in this case. There is no dispute that all accused are private persons and they illegally kidnapped and deprived the victim, Ji Won-lee, of her liberty for purposes of extorting ransom and thereafter was killed during detention,” the court said.
It noted that it gave weight to the testimony of prosecution witnesses over the defense’s claims of denial and alibi.
Negative evidence
“Denial, if not substantiated by clear and convincing evidence, is negative and self-serving evidence undeserving of weight in law. It is considered with suspicion and always received with caution, not only because it is inherently weak and unreliable, but also because it is easily fabricated and concocted,” it said.
The accused claimed they were either not involved in the crime or were elsewhere when it occurred. Buenaobra asserted that he was working at a fishpond in Paombong, Bulacan, at the time and denied knowing the victim or the other accused.
Ronel Mongado, identified as the taxi driver in the abduction, argued that he was at home in Bagong Silang, Caloocan, watching TV with his children. He also claimed he had voluntarily surrendered in Mindanao, maintaining that “he did not do anything wrong.”
