Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Respondents from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the funeral parlor allegedly involved in the Jee Ick-joo kidnap-slay case appeared before the Justice department preliminary investigation on Friday.
NBI officials Ricardo Diaz, Roel Bolivar, and Justo Yap filed a joint counter affidavit through their counsel Atty. Winston Ginez.
They are denying the allegations of Supt. Rafael Dumlao, the supposed mastermind of the Jee’s kidnap-slay, implicating the NBI officials.
Employees of Gream Funeral Services–the funeral parlor where Jee’s body was cremated–also filed a joint counter-affidavit, while its former secretary Epephany Gotera filed her own counter-affidavit.
Gream Funeral parlor owner Gerardo Santiago’s lawyer, Atty. Restituto Mendoza, appealed to the prosecutor to disregard the signed confessions of his employees, as their statements were taken when they were under NBI’s custodial investigation.
However, the NBI clarified the funeral parlor employees were taken as witnesses, not as suspects, leading the prosecutor to reject Mendoza’s appeal.
SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel also appeared for the preliminary investigation, filing a supplemental counter-affidavit.
Also read: PNP Chief: Sta. Isabel, Dumlao liable in Jee kidnap-slay
Meanwhile, the prosecutor gave Supt. Allan Macapagal, another suspect in the Jee kidnap-slay case, until March 17 to file a supplemental counter-affidavit after failing to submit his statement Friday.
Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera no longer allowed the present respondents to submit further supplemental documents in the next and final schedule of preliminary investigation, reiterating they have only until April 19 to file a resolution.
Related: Duterte apologizes to Koreans for kidnap-slay case
