Poe: Probe tax records of cop linked to Korean’s slay

MANILA, Philippines – A senator wants a more thorough review of the financial records of Senior Police Officer 3 (SPO3) Ricky Sta Isabel, the principal suspect in the kidnapping and murder of a South Korean businessman.

Senator Grace Poe on Sunday, January 29, said there is a need to determine where Sta Isabel’s wealth came from and whether or not he is paying the correct taxes.

It was revealed in a Senate probe that the cop has millions of pesos worth of assets, but his monthly take-home pay is only P8,000. In 2014, he had a net worth of P20.3 million. This slightly went down in 2015, with P14.4 million in assets and P2.9 million worth of real and personal properties.

The police officer also admitted to owning 5 houses and lots in Caloocan, a 4-story commercial building in Quezon City, a 2014 Toyota Hi-Lux, 2012 Toyota Vios, 2014 Honda tricycle, and 2012 Kawasaki tricycle.

On top of this, Sta Isabel admitted that he has numerous businesses, including a lottery outlet, a Western Union remittance center, and a Bayad Center – all of which are supposedly managed by his wife Jinky.

“Pero ‘yun naman, tingnan mo, bakit sa isang punto ay umabot sa ganoong halaga? … Baka naman ‘yung kanyang misis ay talagang matagumpay sa kanyang trabaho, pero titingnan natin ‘yung kanilang taxes. Sila ba ay nagbayad ng kaukulang buwis para dito?” Poe said in an interview on radio station dzBB.

(But, look at that, how did his net worth reach that amount? … Maybe his wife is really successful in her job, but we should look at their taxes. Did they pay the correct taxes?)

As proof of legitimate funds, Poe said the wife’s income tax return should be reviewed to determine the amount of taxes paid and where the income is sourced. In the absence of such, the senator said it would be evident that the properties are “ill-gotten.”

As SPO3, Sta Isabel receives a base monthly pay of P25,394.00, according to data from the Philippine National Police (PNP). His annual taxable income is over P350,000. He told Poe last Thursday, January 26, that he only takes home around P8,000 monthly because he pays several loans from the PNP.

Sta Isabel is accused of kidnapping and strangling Jee in October 2016. The case is the latest controversy to hit the PNP as it wages a war on drugs. (READ: Jee Ick Joo case: Tangled webs, inconsistent stories)

Sta Isabel was with the PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Group (AIDG) at the time of the crime, and his team allegedly used the anti-drug campaign as a cover for their illegal activities. – Rappler.com