Aguirre: Gov't working with South Korea on mafia angle in Jee slay

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II plans to get the cooperation of South Korean authorities regarding the emergence of a "Korean mafia" as potential suspect in the abduction and killing of businessman Jee Ick Joo. 

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Aguirre said his office has asked the South Korean Embassy in Manila if it has a police attaché that could "shed light" on the involvement of Korean mafia "if ever it exists."

"Merong information na pwedeng merong Koreans involved na syndicate...Of course, there is nothing final about this, puro theory muna hanggang hindi naimbestigahan at nagkakaroon ng concrete evidence," he said.

Aguirre added he had heard cases of Koreans victimizing fellow Koreans during his five-month stint at the Clark Development Corp. in 2013.

Reports over the weekend said the joint probe of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will be looking into the mafia angle in the kidnap-slay because of similar cases in the past.

However, PNP chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa said that the main angle of the joint investigation on the Jee kidnap-slay was extortion.

Policemen and members of the NBI are being suspected of having involvement in the death of Jee, who was abducted, along with his househelp, from his Angeles City home last October 18. 

Despite a ransom demand, Jee was killed and cremated on the same day he was kidnapped, his ashes flushed down a toilet.

The abduction was allegedly committed in the guise of the government's campaign against illegal drugs, sparking criticisms that prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to suspend the anti-drug campaign until the PNP cleanses itself of scalawags.

Duterte has also barred the NBI from implementing anti-drug laws, meaning the agency could no longer probe cases falling under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act. —KBK, GMA News