De Lima suspects Jee kidnap-slay an 'inside job'

Senator Leila de Lima suspects that the kidnapping and killing of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo was an "inside job," noting the fact that Jee's househelp, who was abducted along with him, was hired only a day before the incident.

At a Senate hearing on Thursday, De Lima said Marissa Dawis-Morquicho was hired on October 17, 2016 — an information Morquicho herself confirmed. "Kakapasok ko lang po," she said.

"Observation ko lang, for the record... She was hired by the victim and his wife the day before the actual incident. Sabi niyo nga, kailangan maging madumi rin ang utak natin," De Lima told Senator Panfilo Lacson, chairman of the Senate public order committee, which was conducting an inquiry.

"Is it too much of a coincidence? Ano ba ang background niya?" De Lima said, referring to Morquicho. "I'm just speaking aloud, baka naman inside job."

Jee's wife, Choi Kyung-jin, who was also present at the hearing, said through an interpreter that Morquicho was referred by a close friend, who is also a Korean.

Morquicho said her prior employment was in Clark, Pampanga, where she worked for a year.

De Lima said she also obtained two affidavits executed by Morquicho. She noted that in the first affidavit, Morquicho did not identify Sta. Isabel as the one who abducted her and Jee.

"Kasi yung picture pinakita nila hindi updated... Noong napanood ko siya sa TV, doon ko siya namukhaan sa boses at sa galaw din," Morquicho explained.

Morquicho was abducted together with Jee from his house in Angeles City, Pampanga, on October 18. She said she saw the suspects beating up Jee while they were inside the vehicle on their way to Metro Manila.

She said she did not witness the killing of Jee as she was transferred to a different vehicle and later on given P1,000 before being dropped off in Cubao, Quezon City. —KBK, GMA News