The owner of Gream Funeral Services where the body of slain South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo was taken is now under the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said Friday.
“He voluntarily sought the NBI’s protective custody,” Aguirre said in a text message.
Gerardo Santiago, owner of Gream Funeral Homes arrived in the Philippines at around 6 in the morning on board Philippine Airlines Flight PR No. 119 from Pearson Airport in Toronto, Canada.
Jee’s body was taken to Gream Funeral Homes immediately after he was killed on October last year. According to one of the accused, Senior Police Officer 4 (SP04) Roy Villegas, Santiago was paid P30,000 and a golf set.
Aguirre said Santiago, through intermediaries started sending feelers last week.
Santiago requested that he be secured by the NBI upon his arrival.
The Justice Chief said Santiago told him that there are two groups that have been sending him death threats.
He, however refused to give details as to the people behind the two groups.
Aguirre said Santiago requested that he be placed under the government’s Witness Protection Program (WPP)
“He asked the NBI that he be placed under WPP. I told him it is imperative that he execute a statement because it will be used as basis whether he will be admitted or not,” Aguirre said at a press conference.
Aguirre said they will give Santiago the opportunity to get a lawyer before executive an affidavit.
CDG/rga
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