Rafael Dumlao, mastermind in Jee Ick Joo slay, arrested in Quezon City

Former police official Rafael Dumlao, who was convicted in connection with the 2016 kidnapping and killing of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo, was arrested in Quezon City on Tuesday morning, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said.

In a press briefing, Remulla said operatives of the Philippine National Police (PNP) served a warrant of arrest against Dumlao at around 5 a.m. in a house in Pasong Tamo, Quezon City.

“Today, June 9, 2026, at around 5 o'clock a.m., operatives of the PNP successfully arrested Police Lieutenant Colonel Rafael Dumlao. He was arrested in a house in Pasong Tamo, Quezon City pursuant to a warrant of arrest issued by the court,” he said.

Dumlao was dismissed from service in 2018.

Dumlao was convicted in connection with the kidnapping, extortion, carnapping, and killing of Jee Ick Joo, a South Korean businessman who was abducted and slain inside Camp Crame in October 2016.

According to Remulla, a witness in the case testified that Jee Ick Joo was kidnapped and extorted for money.

When the victim failed to provide the demanded payment, he was allegedly strangled and his body was burned.

Remulla said that in September 2024, the Court of Appeals reversed a lower court decision, found Dumlao guilty, sentenced him to reclusion perpetua, and ordered his immediate arrest without bail.

On June 30, 2025, the Supreme Court denied Dumlao’s petition and other legal remedies, effectively affirming the conviction and exhausting all available judicial recourse, he added.

“This morning’s operation is a clear demonstration of the government’s commitment to enforce the law and implement court decisions,” Remulla said.

“The arrest sends a strong message that no one is above the law regardless of rank, position, or former authority,” he added.

Remulla also commended the PNP personnel who carried out the operation, saying the arrest showed the police organization’s commitment to accountability and reform.

“Even though Colonel Dumlao was one of their own, he was not put above the law,” he said. —AOL, GMA News