MANILA — Former police officer Rafael Dumlao, convicted in the notorious kidnapping and murder of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo, was arrested Tuesday in Quezon City after the Supreme Court upheld his conviction, marking a major breakthrough in one of the country’s most controversial criminal cases.
Operatives of the Philippine National Police (PNP) arrested Dumlao, a former police lieutenant colonel, at a residence in Barangay Pasong Tamo at around 5 a.m. based on a warrant issued following the finality of his conviction, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla announced.
“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,” Remulla said during a press briefing.
Dumlao, who was dismissed from the police service in 2018, was among the key figures implicated in the abduction and killing of Jee Ick Joo, a South Korean businessman who was kidnapped and slain inside Camp Crame in October 2016, a crime that triggered international outrage and cast a shadow over the Philippine National Police.
According to Remulla, court evidence showed that Jee was abducted and extorted for money by his captors. When he failed to provide the amount demanded, he was allegedly strangled to death and his remains were later burned.
The Department of the OK yes you knowInterior and Local Government said the Court of Appeals reversed an earlier ruling in September 2024, convicted Dumlao, sentenced him to reclusion perpetua, and ordered his arrest without bail.
Remulla said the conviction became final after the Supreme Court denied Dumlao’s appeal and other legal remedies on June 30, 2025.
“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. “Even though Colonel Dumlao was one of their own, he was not put above the law.”
The Jee Ick Joo case became one of the most damaging scandals in the history of the PNP after investigators uncovered that the South Korean businessman had been kidnapped and killed inside the national police headquarters. The case sparked widespread public outrage, strained diplomatic relations, and led to major reforms within the police organization.
Dumlao’s arrest represents the latest and most significant development in the nearly decade-old case, reinforcing government efforts to hold accountable those involved in the murder regardless of their former rank or position./PN
