MANILA, Philippines – South Korea said it plans to bust fake arrest warrants served to its nationals in the Philippines after a South Korean businessman was allegedly kidnapped and killed by policemen who served a fake search warrant.

“We plan to establish a system under which Korean residents can check if arrest warrants are fake or not by calling the Korean embassy when local police try to arrest them,” said Jeong Jin-Kyu, an official of the South Korean foreign ministry, as quoted by The Korea Times. 

Jeong is the deputy director general for overseas Koreans and consular affairs at the South Korean foreign ministry.

The Korea Times also reported on Thursday, January 19, that 6 Korean police officers “are currently working at the Philippine National Police agency.” 

South Korea is making these moves after Jee Ick Joo, a South Korean businessman, was killed inside the Philippines’ police headquarters, Camp Crame, hours after he was abducted from his home in Angeles City.

The suspects, including policemen, raided Jee’s home on October 18, 2016, using President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs as cover.

Kidnappers demanded a total of P9.5 million ($190,570) in ransom, but investigations showed that Jee was long dead when the perpetrators asked for money.  

South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se talked to Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr over the phone about the issue.

Yasay expressed “deep regret” over Jee’s death, and said the Philippines “has appointed and ordered a special prosecutor to conduct an investigation in a swift manner,” said South Korean foreign ministry spokesperson Cho June-hyuck.

Yun, on the other hand, relayed his “grave shock over the implication of Philippine police officers in the case.” – Rappler.com

*$1 = P49.84