Philippine police chief apologizes to South Korea in killing

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine national police chief apologized to South Korea on Thursday over the death of a Korean man who was arrested illegally and then slain by members of an anti-drug task force at the main police camp in Manila.

Police Director-General Ronald Dela Rosa said the policemen detained Jee Ickjoo with a fake arrest warrant last October with the intent of holding him for ransom, but killed him the same day. He said they then extracted a ransom payment from Jee’s family without telling them Jee was dead.

The victim’s cremated remains have been found in a funeral parlour, officials said.

“I’m very sorry that this crime happened and my men are involved,” dela Rosa said at a news conference. “I just want to melt and disappear from this world out of embarrassment for what my men did.”

He said one of the policemen has since surrendered.

Dela Rosa said he is regularly updating the South Korean ambassador on developments in the investigation.

South Korean officials have expressed alarm over the killing and other attacks on Koreans in the Philippines.

Dela Rosa said the suspects used President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug crackdown as a cover to carry out the kidnapping.