A former Philippine police officer accused of kidnapping and killing Korean businessman the late Ji Ik-joo in the Philippines in 2016 has been caught after fleeing.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Philippine police arrested Rafael Dumlao, identified as the main culprit in Ji's case, at about 5:15 a.m. on the 9th in Manila. Dumlao, a former Head of Team at the Philippine National Police's anti-narcotics unit, is said to have been on the run for about 1 year and 9 months.
Philippine authorities arrested Dumlao at a dwellings in Quezon City in the Manila metropolitan area. He was asleep with a handgun at his side and reportedly did not offer significant resistance at the time of arrest. Acting on a tip, police determined his location, conducted weeks of surveillance to confirm his identity, and moved in to apprehend him.
Dumlao is accused of posing as conducting a drug crackdown with on-duty officers in Oct. 2016 in Angeles City on the northern island of Luzon, kidnapping Ji from his home, taking him to the Korean National Police Agency parking lot, and killing him.
He was acquitted at the first trial and released, but at the second trial he was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. However, he escaped by exploiting the gap before the arrest warrant was executed, and Philippine authorities secured a warrant in Sept. last year and continued the pursuit.
Interior Minister Jonvic Remulla of the Philippines said of the arrest, "It is an example that shows the will to enforce the law and carry out court rulings," adding, "He will face the judgment of justice."
Earlier, President Lee Jae-myung also mentioned Ji's case during his state visit to the Philippines in Mar. and requested a swift arrest.
President Lee Jae-myung said on X (formerly Twitter) that day, "After months of tracking, we have finally arrested a former local police officer who killed our country's citizen," adding, "We thank the Philippine authorities for their efforts. The police, the National Intelligence Service (NIS), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs all did a great job."