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Wednesday, December 03, 2003
Guv to Koreans: So sorry
* NBI agents still to ascertain motive in ambush-killing of 2 resto owners
CEBU -- Cebu Gov. Pablo Garcia apologized to the South Korean ambassador to the Philippines Monday afternoon for the killing of two South Korean nationals, which he said has given the province a "black eye", while law enforcers scramble to solve the crime.
Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 7 have yet to find out the motive for the killing of restaurant owners Cho Yoon Sik and Kim Shuk Shin in Lapu-Lapu City Saturday night.
NBI 7 Executive Officer Nelson Bartolome said after talking to people close to both men, he learned that they had no debts, did not gamble and were known as nice men who had no vices.
The PNP will organize a special task force that will band together the NBI and four police units, including the Presidential Center on Transnational Crime.
Governor Garcia admitted in his news conference Tuesday the problem is primarily a concern of the local government, thus his apology to Ambassador Son Sang Ha.
In 2002, at least 26,500 Koreans visited Cebu.
Another statistic
More attention should be given to Lapu-Lapu as a "special security concern" because it serves as Cebu's "gateway" because of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport, the governor said.
A travel advisory against Cebu will "destroy" the tourism industry, he warned, and we need to show South Koreans that the police force is capable of handling the case.
"The longer this remains unsolved, the more difficult it will be. This might become a statistic on unsolved crimes," Garcia noted.
Together with the other illegal activities in Lapu-Lapu that are on the rise, including sagiki (target-shooting), hupo-hupo (unlicensed tour guides) and the collection of steep taxi fares, the governor said the way Cebuanos treat guests "constitutes embarrassment."
"Every tourist is a possible victim. They are exploited," he said.
Garcia said tour operators should take this as a challenge to "police their ranks and extend other services to make tourists' stay here safe and comfortable."
The Cebu Korean Tourism Association, as well as the widows of the two men, has requested the NBI 7 to investigate the twin murders.
Local business
The NBI began its investigation Tuesday by heading to Cho's house in Pacific Grand Villas and to his restaurant in Lapu-Lapu City.
They were allowed to search through his telephone bills, directories and personal notes. They also checked his neighbors.
Bartolome told reporters they were not able to find other witnesses.
Business was booming at the Shabu Shabu Ox restaurant in Barangay Pusok that they were planning to build an annex.
However, agents learned that Cho changed his employees every three months.
Bartolome said that so far, the services of seven employees were already terminated.
A background check will be conducted on all of them.
Cho, who had been in the Philippines for 12 years, was in Cebu since August.
Aside from the Shabu Shabu Ox restaurant, he also owned the Shera Po hotel and Mabuhay restaurant in Boracay, Aklan.
He used to own a diver's shop and boat for hire, but he closed it after a diver drowned.
Task force
Rummaging through Cho's belongings in his house in Grand Pacific Villas, NBI agents found handwritten notes in Korean.
Bartolome plans to have these interpreted.
Bartolome said they were unable to get the statements of the victim's wives because they already left for Korea last Monday afternoon, carrying the ashes of their husbands.
They are expected to return after 10 days.
Bartolome has asked the Lapu-Lapu City Police to get the sworn statements of Lito Bondac, who is the registered owner of Shabu Shabu Ox, and Noel Soberano, an assistant cook who lived with the victims.
Bartolome said that Bondac was merely a dummy because foreigners were not allowed to put up such businesses under Philippine laws.
NBI 7 will also take the statement of responding investigator SPO2 Rolito Jumao-as.
With a task force created to solve the killing, Bartolome said it did not matter to him who led the investigation, as long as it was solved.
Asked who will lead the task force, Lapu-Lapu City Police Chief Louie Oppus said it is up to PNP Regional Office 7 Director Robert Delfin to decide.
At present, the technical aspects of the case, ballistic and medico-legal examination, are being handled by NBI.
Lapu-Lapu City police submitted to NBI Tuesday six .45 empty shells, a .45 bullet, two .45 slugs and one deformed slug.
The PNP scene of the crime operations team went to the crime scene Tuesday and lifted prints from the car. They also took photographs of the crime scene and bullet holes, and examined the remaining contents of the car. KMF/MEA/OCP
(December 3, 2003 issue)
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