Filipino ex-cop convicted in 2016 murder of South Korean businessman arrested

A former high-ranking Filipino police officer, Rafael Dumlao, who was convicted of orchestrating the 2016 murder of South Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo, has been arrested in Manila. Dumlao had been on the run for nearly two years after the Philippine Supreme Court upheld his conviction and sentence of at least 30 years in prison.

Jee Ick-joo was abducted and killed inside the national police headquarters in 2016. The case, which involved several active-duty and former police officers, exposed significant corruption within the Philippine law enforcement. According to Interior Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla, a witness reported that Jee was kidnapped for ransom, strangled, cremated, and his remains were disposed of by flushing them down the toilet.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung welcomed the arrest, vowing to pursue justice for South Koreans targeted abroad and thanking officials from both nations for their collaborative efforts. The arrest was confirmed by South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.