THE owner of the crematorium in Caloocan City where the body of abducted South Korean businessman was brought has left the country, according to the report of Department of Justice (DOJ).

Based on the monitoring of the Bureau of Immigration (BI), Gerardo Santiago had left the country last January 11 on board a Philippine Airlines flight 118 going to Canada, said DOJ Undersecretary Erickson Balmes.

Santiago is the owner of Gream Funeral Homes, the funeral parlor in Bagbaguin, Caloocan City where missing South Korean national Jee Ick-Joo was brought and cremated.

According to the municipality of Caloocan, Santiago is on leave as chairman of Barangay 165 Caloocan from January 10 until February 10.

In its findings that was sent to Seoul, Korea, the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday identified Santiago as a former police officer who worked with the alleged primary suspect of the crime, SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel.

According to the result of the investigation, Ick-joo was strangled to death on the same day of his abduction last October 18, 2016 and was brought to the Gream Funeral Homes the following day.

Aside from the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is also conducting a parallel investigation on the case.

The Kidnapping and Serious Illegal Detention charges filed against Sta. Isabel and seven others involved in the disappearance of Ick-joo are now pending before the DOJ. (SunStar Philippines)