Dumlao faces disbarment over Jee Ick-joo slay case

MANILA, Philippines —  The mastermind in the murder of businessman Jee Ick-joo is facing a disbarment case before the Supreme Court (SC) over his conviction in the kidnapping and killing of the South Korean in 2016.

Jee’s widow, Kyungjin Choi, has filed a disbarment case against former police colonel Rafael Dumlao III, who is also a lawyer. The Court of Appeals (CA) found Dumlao guilty as a co-conspirator in the case of Jee Ick-joo, who was kidnapped in the guise of a drug raid, strangled to death at Camp Crame, cremated and his ashes flushed down a toilet.

The murder occurred at the height of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war.

In the complaint, Kyungjin Choi said Dumlao’s conviction is a serious offense under Canon VI Section 33 of the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA), which carries the sanction of disbarment.

She argued that Dumlao’s crime involved moral turpitude, which she said is one of the grounds for removal from the rolls of lawyers under Rule 138, Section 27 of the Revised Rules of Court.

She also contended that Dumlao’s actions that led to his conviction constitute “grossly immoral conduct” deemed as a serious offense under the CPRA.

Dumlao also violated the Lawyer’s Oath that he took upon passing the Bar examinations, she said.

“When Dumlao was convicted for crimes that warranted severe penalties, he was certainly disregarding his sacred oath and shirking his responsibilities as a member of the Philippine Bar,” the complaint stated.

Kyungjin Choi said Dumlao’s “grossly immoral conduct and disobedience to the law” shows contempt for his sworn duties to society, the Bar and the Bench.

She asked the SC to disbar Dumlao after due hearing.

The appeals court had sentenced Dumlao to life in prison, without parole. He was ordered to pay Jee’s family P350,000 in damages for kidnapping with homicide.

For the charge of kidnapping and serious illegal detention, he was meted another life term and ordered to pay Jee’s heirs P225,000 in damages, plus up to 35 years in prison for carjacking.

Dumlao remains at large. He was allowed to post bail in 2019 and was subsequently acquitted by the Angeles Regional Trial Court before being convicted by the CA.