PNP-AIDG: Rafael Dumlao tried to cover up for Ricky Sta. Isabel

The Philippine National Police Anti-Illegal Drugs Group has recommended the filing of grave misconduct and serious neglect of duty charges against Supt. Rafael Dumlao II, one of the suspects in the abduction and killing of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo.

Based on the result of its investigation, the AIDG said Dumlao tried to cover up for SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel, who is accused of abducting and killing Jee on October 18.

Dumlao is the team leader of Special Investigation Unit 2, to which Sta. Isabel belongs.

"As early as November 5, 2016, when he was instructed by (AIDG director) Senior Supt. (Albert) Ferro to locate Sta. Isabel, he should have come forward and inform Director, AIDG that indeed Sta Isabel took the Korean," the report said.

It added Dumlao never mentioned that Sta. Isabel was involved in the kidnapping of Jee, even defending the police officer.

"Instead, he made to believe no less than the Director, AIDG that Sta. Isabel was straight as per his report dated January 8, 2017, wherein he argued that it is not possible for Sta Isabel to do the kidnapping," it said.

The AIDG believes Dumlao and Sta. Isabel took advantage of the busy schedule of their colleagues to implement their own "operation."

"While all personnels are included in the pre-ops, most of them are put on standby alert only. As per record, only the team of PCI Agcio went to Castillejos,Zambales for casing surveillance which was abruptly terminated due to impending typhoon Lawin on October 17, 2016.?? Other members of the team were indeed on standby status only when the incident happened, since some of them were in the office performing other tasks," the report.

During the time, the AIDG was conducting operations on the floating shabu laboratory in Subic Bay, Zambales and another shabu laboratory in Cauayan, Isabela.

Ferro and other AIDG officials were in Abu Dhabi to arrest suspected Eastern Visayas drug lord Kerwin Espinosa while their other officials were preparing to attend a training in China.

In its report, the AIDG also recommended the filing of a grave misconduct complaint against SPO4 Roy Villegas who was also part of the team that kidnapped Jee. 

The complaints against Dumlao and Villegas will be filed before the PNP Internal Affairs Service.

No complaint was recommended for Sta. Isabel as he had already resigned from the PNP. —JST, GMA News