4 NBI officials relieved of their posts over Jee Ick Joo case

Four National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) officials have been relieved of their posts in connection with the kidnap-slay of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said Thursday. 

Relieved were NBI National Capital Region Director Ricardo Diaz, NBI Deputy Director for Investigation Services Jose Yap, NBI Task Force Against Illegal Drugs chief Roel Bolivar and NBI NCR head agent Darwin Lising.

Diaz will return to his mother unit, the NBI Regional Operations Service, and will be replaced by Assistant Regional Director Rommel Vallejo as officer-in-charge, according to a press statement released by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Yap will be replaced by NBI Deputy Director for Intelligence Service Vicente De Guzman. Yap was reassigned as OIC of the NBI's Information and Communications Technology Division (ICTD).

Taking the place of De Guzman is Atty. Sixto Burgos.

Bolivar was reassigned to the Office of the NBI Director. He will be replaced at the NBI Anti-Illegal Task Force by his deputy Jonathan Galicia.

Lising, the fourth NBI official relieved, was reassigned to Bicol.

The shake-up came after police Supt. Rafael Dumlao III, who is among those implicated in the crime, alleged in a television interview on Wednesday that Diaz's men were also involved.

Aguirre said the relief would give way to the joint investigation on the matter by the

NBI and Philippine National Police (PNP).

"(PNP) Director General Ronald 'Bato' dela Rosa and NBI Director Dante Gierran met at the office of Senator Panfilo Lacson yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon. They agreed to jointly work to solve the kidnapping and killing of Korean Jee Ick Joo," the DOJ said.

Senior Supt. Glenn Dumlao of the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group and Assistant Director Medardo De Lemos were named team leaders of the PNP and NBI, respectively.

Police officers led by SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel reportedly abducted Jee 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 reportedly flushed down a toilet.

The abduction was allegedly committed under 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. — RSJ/MDM, GMA News