Suspect in Jee kidnap-slay says Garbo backed his appointment in Crame

SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel, the primary suspect in the kidnap-slay of Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo, on Thursday said retired Police Deputy Director General Marcelo Garbo Jr was his backer when he applied for a job at Camp Crame. 

Sta. Isabel made the statement when Senator Panfilo Lacson asked him who recruited him to the Directorate for Intelligence, his first job at the PNP national headquarters. 

“Sino ang nag-recruit sa iyo sa DI—Directorate for Intelligence, hindi dance instructor. Sino nagrecruit sa 'yo? Who was responsible for your assignment? Kasi ‘yun ang naging parang gateway mo,” Lacson said during the Senate hearing on the case of Jee.

“Kasi kung galing ka ng DI siyempre 'pag papasok ka ng Anti-Illegal Drugs, parang may clearance ka na dahil mataas 'yung posisyon sa DI at na-assign ka dun. As a matter of course, parang iisipin ng bagong unit na pupuntahan mo na medyo cleared na ito kasi ang security clearance mo medyo mataas,” he added.

Sta. Isabel said he approached a friend of Garbo, who was then the deputy chief for administration.

“Pinag-apply po ako. May nalapitan po ako…Nag-apply po ako doon. Galing po akong SPD (Southern Police District). Nag-apply ako papuntang Crame. May nalapitan po akong kaibigan ni Gen. Garbo tapos hindi ko naman personal na nakaharap si Gen Garbo. Ni-refer po ako,” he said. 

When Lacson asked him again if it was Garbo who backed him, Sta. Isabel believed it was not him as he was referred to another person.

“Hindi rin po kasi pinadaan ako…,” he said.

The senator then probed Sta. Isabel if his friend has enough influence to give him the job.

“Sabi mo may kaibigan ka na lumapit, na kakilala ni Gen. Garbo. So sino naman 'yung kaibigan mo na magka-influence sa DI? Garbo at that time was deputy director general, deputy chief for administration, number two man. So sino 'yung pwedeng mag-recommend o mag-direct sa DI na tanggapin ka doon? 'Yung kaibigan mo o si General Garbo?” Lacson inquired.

When Lacson asked him again who is more influential between his friend and Garbo, Sta. Isabel finally said: “Si Gen. Garbo po.”

But the police officer said he was not directly placed under DI but assigned to the Philippine Bomb Data Center. 

Lacson clarified that he is not putting Garbo on the spot but the retired general’s name has already been mentioned by President Rodrigo Duterte as one of the five police generals allegedly involved in illegal drugs. 

“This is not putting Gen. Garbo on the spot but of course the President has been very vocal, very open about this. Kindly give this committee a background as per information that you receive sa office niyo,” he said.

Jee was abducted from his home in Angeles City, Pampanga on October 18, 2016. He was killed the same day inside Camp Crame. SPO4 Roy Villegas has executed an affidavit accusing Sta. Isabel of strangling Jee and bringing the body to a funeral parlor in Caloocan City. —KG, GMA News