WATCH: Timeline of the Jee Ick-joo case
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Philippine National Police Chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa is not resigning, despite the urging of the House Speaker amid an alleged “tokhang for ransom” case.
Dela Rosa said on Friday he is here to stay and will not resign unless President Rodrigo Duterte himself orders him to do so.
“How cruel of them to say na pagresignin ako. Wala na akong pahinga. Sabihan niyo si Presidente na paalisin ako,” he said.
[Translation: How cruel of them to ask me to resign. I have not rested. Tell the President to ask me to leave.]
House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has called for Dela Rosa’s resignation over what he calls a meltdown of discipline in the police force.
The alleged suspects in the abduction and murder of Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo are police officials. Dela Rosa earlier confirmed Jee was killed and cremated inside the premise of the police headquarters, Camp Crame.
“The commission of a heinous crime right in his very nose is not only an insult but a clear indication that he has lost the respect of his people,” he said in a statement.
Related: Dela Rosa expresses shame over killing of Korean in Camp Crame
Alvarez also said the Chief PNP’s priorities seem to have shifted from protecting the Filipinos to establishing a showbiz career.
He noted Dela Rosa was photographed enjoying the concert of Bryan Adams on Wednesday — the height of the unraveling of the kidnap-slay case of Jee.
One of the prime suspects in the abduction and killing, SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel, was arrested and detained at Camp Crame on Friday night.
Sta. Isabel denied he killed Korean national and claimed he simply followed orders from his team leader, Supt. Raphael Dumlao.
Another suspect, SPO4 Roy Villegas, is being held at the Anti-Illegal Drugs Group detention facility also at Camp Crame.
Read: Timeline of Jee’s abduction
PNP backs boss
With the PNP under fire, the men of Dela Rosa expressed their full support for their chief.
Chief Spokesperson Senior Superintendent Dionardo Carlos said it is unfair to overlook the achievements of the PNP over the wrongdoing of one officer.
“We must take a deeper study into the situation if the sinister act of one Sta. Isabel is enough to wash away the gains in the past six months under CPNP’s (Chief PNP’s) leadership. When one little finger is sore and wounded, do we cut the head to cure it? The PNP is addressing the case properly,” Carlos said in a statement on Saturday.
