Jee Ick-joo, the Korean businessman abducted and killed by policemen who operated under the guise of a drug raid, was allegedly the right-hand man of a big-time drug lord.

SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel, the prime suspect in Jee's kidnap-slay, said that his superior, Supt. Rafael Dumlao, had claimed that Jee was involved in drugs and was the right-hand man of a Chinese drug lord named Albert Chua.

"Ang sabi po ni Atty. Dumlao, si Ick Joo raw po, yan ang kanang kamay ni Albert Chua. Yun po yung sinasabing drug lord saka yung sinasabing may warrant,” he said.

Sta. Isabel maintained that this was revealed in a phone conversation his wife had with Dumlao that was recorded by his wife and children.

In the earlier part of Thursday's Senate inquiry into the 'Tokhang for Ransom' modus, Sta. Isabel had said that prior to Jee's kidnap-slay, Dumlao, his team leader in the Philippine National Police Anti-Illegal Drugs Group (PNP-AIDG), ordered him to arrest Albert Chua.

However, he realized that Jee was not the person who was stated in the pre-operation document and supposed arrest warrant, so he decided not to take the Korean during their first attempt.

Jee was taken from their home in Angeles, Pampanga on October 18 allegedly by a group of policemen led by Sta. Isabel, but he repeatedly denied this.

Sta. Isabel said Dumlao kept on calling his wife, Jinky Sta. Isabel, when news broke about Jee's kidnap-slay.

"Nakikiusap siya na makipagtulungan na hindi siya madawit sa kaso na binibintang na kidnapping," he said.

Then, he recalled, Dumlao and and a "Colonel Macapagal" met up with them in their residence on January 15, a day before he surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation.

In the meeting, Dumlao allegedly told him that his name being involved in the case circulating media was all but a "sarsuela," and that Philippine National Police Director General Ronald Dela Rosa and Dumlao used this so that he may appear to be most evil person in the PNP.

Dumlao also supposedly tried to convince him to tag instead

"Ang kailangan lang namin, mayroong mag-tetestify 'pag nagpa-press release na si chief PNP, patay na lahat naman iyang mga pulis na iyan, hindi na magsasalita iyang mga iyan, ituturo lang na sila yung kasama ko na allegedly, nangidnap at nag-withdraw ng pera," he said, supposedly quoting Dumlao.

Sta. Isabel replied, however, that he could not do it.



"Nakiusap din po ako na ako na lang po ang patayin niyo kasi di ko po kayang ituro lahat ng sinasabi ninyong iyan dahil wala naman po talaga akong partisipasyon diyan, paano ko po sila ituturo," he said.

However, Dumlao and Macapagal allegedly told him that if he would not cooperate, they would search his home.

"Ang sabi po ni Atty. Dumlao saka ni Macapagal, pag di ka nakipag-cooperate, sa ayaw at sa gusto mo, sa lunes, papasukin na naming ang bahay mo kasi makakakuha na kami ng warrant," he said.