A PAMPANGA trial court has convicted a policemen and a former errand boy of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for kidnapping and killing of a South Korean businessman in 2016.
The Angeles City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 60, in a 192-page decision, found SPO3) Ricky Sta. Isabel and his accomplice Jerry Omlang guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the special complex crime of kidnapping with homicide.
They two were sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
“The Court finds that the prosecution was able to prove that SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel and Jerry Omlang aka Jerry are guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the special complex crime of kidnapping with homicide,” the ruling stated.
The Court also directed Sta. Isabel and Omlang to pay the heirs of their victim, Jee Ick Joo, a total of P250,000 in damages, plus P100,000 as civil indemnity.
The Court also found Sta. Isabel and Omlang guilty of kidnapping and serious illegal detention and sentenced them to another life term.
“There being no aggravating or mitigating circumstance in the commission of the offense, they are hereby sentenced to suffer the penalty of reclusion perpetua together with the accessory penalties,” the ruling read.
They were also directed Sta. Isabel and Omlang to pay Jee’s housemaid, Marisa Dawis Morquicho, P150,000 in damages and P75,000 as civil indemnity.
The Court likewise sentenced Sta. Isabel and Omlang to imprisonment for 22 years to 25 years for the crime of carnapping.
“Although Jee was forcibly taken, the information charging the accused with carnapping did not state that it was committed by means of violence against, or intimidation of, any person, or force of things,” the Court said.
“Therefore, accused Sta. Isabel and Omlang can only be convicted of simple carnapping and sentenced to suffer the penalty of imprisonment of 22 years to 25 years,” the Court explained.
On the other hand, the Court acquitted Supt. Rafael Dumlao of the charge of kidnapping for lack of sufficient evidence.
The Court said the prosecution failed to prove that Isabel, Omlang, Dumlao, and SPO4 Roy Villegas were guilty beyond reasonable doubt of kidnapping for ransom with homicide.
Jee was abducted, along with his house help Morquicho, from his Angeles City home on October 18, 2016, by armed men purportedly carrying out an anti-drug operation.
The victim was strangled to death right inside the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame. His remains were allegedly burned and flushed down the toilet.
