A regional trial court in Angeles City, Pampanga Friday ordered the arrest of three policemen and several others charged with kidnapping for ransom with homicide on South Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said the court issued the warrants of arrest for SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel, SPO4 Roy Villegas, SPO4 Ramon Yalung and four identified under their aliases “Pulis,” “Jerry”, “Sir Dumlao” and “Ding.”

Aguirre said Sta. Isabel will be fetched at the National Bureau of Investigation by the arresting officer from Camp Crame. Sta. Isabel surrendered to the NBI.

Superintendent Dennis Wagas, legal officer of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Anti-Kidnapping Group, said in a phone interview with Daily Manila Shimbun their men served the warrant of arrest to Sta. Isabel at the NBI office late Friday afternoon

Wagas said he will brought to Camp Crame and then to Angeles City.

The Angeles City court issued the order two days after the justice department filed the complaint for kidnapping for ransom with homicide against the accused. The crime is non-bailable.

Jee and his household help were kidnapped on October 18, 2016 by three unidentified men who said they were police officers.

In an affidavit by Villegas, he said Sta. Isabel bought a packaging tape and surgical gloves. He ordered them to cover the head of the Korean. “He (Villegas) finally recalls respondent Sta. Isabel from strangling and killing the victim,” the DOJ resolution said..

Senior Superintedent Dionardo Carlos, the PNP spokesman, said the case of (SPO3 Ricky) Sta Isabel is an isolated case.”

“It does not speak for the work of the entire PNP much more the work done already by Anti-Illegal Drugs Group,” added Carlos before reporters in Camp Crame Friday.

“We are among the Filipino people who were angry and disgusts to Sta Isabel because we are not like him. The PNP should not be represented by Sta Isabel,” he said.

Teresita Ang See of the Movement for Restoration of Peace and Order (MRPO) said there are 11 cases of “tokhang for ransom” amid the intensified campaign of the government against illegal drugs.

See said the kidnapping were reportedly perpetrated by scalawag policemen. She noted that the victims were Chinese nationals.

Carlos asked the public to be careful in using the word “tokhang for ransom” in reported kidnapping incidents.

“If there is a warrant of arrest it’s not tokhang. It is servicing of a warrant, if the warrant that was used is fake there is something wrong it’s an old modus,” Carlos said. Robina Asido/DMS