Six persons have been convicted by a Manila court for the kidnapping and killing of South Korean woman Ji Won Lee in 2014.
In a 21-page decision promulgated Feb. 18, Judge Benedict D. Medina of the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 47 found that “the totality of the evidence adduced by the prosecution to be sufficient to support the conviction of the accused crime charged, as well as the existence of conspiracy among them…”
“There is no dispute that all accused are private persons and they illegally kidnapped and deprived the victim, Ji Won Lee of her liberty for purposes of extorting ransom and thereafter was killed during detention,” Medina stated.
With this, the judge found guilty of the crime kidnapping for ransom with homicide Ronel Mongado, Rowel Mongado, Alex Buenaobra, Jimmy Manlapaz, and Sergio Natad.
The court sentenced them to suffer reclusion perpetua without eligibility for parole with all the accessory penalties attached thereto.
The five accused were also ordered to pay the heirs of the victim P100,000 as civil indemnity, P100,000 as moral damages, and P100,00 exemplary damages.
The court also found guilty Julie Ann Traboco as accessory and sentenced her to suffer the indeterminate penalty of imprisonment ranging from five years, 10 months and one day up to eight years, 11 months, and one day.
Traboco was also ordered to pay the heirs of the victim P12,500 each for civil indemnity, moral and exemplary damages.
On the other hand, two other accused in the case remain at large, namely, Rene Natad and a certain Paks.
Because of this, the judge archived the case against them and issued an alias warrant of arrest against the two.
Court records show that the victim was abducted on March 3, 2014 after taking a taxi in front of her residence at Transpacific Place, Manila to attend a meeting with the Korean Student Association in Malate.
The RTC noted that “accused Ronel alias ‘Butiki’ confessed that he picked up the Korean” and, when they reached Malate, “he allowed accused Rene and Leo boarded the taxi where the two sandwiched the victim.”
The kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of P1 million but was eventually reduced.
The court said P10,000 was handed to state witness Joseph Armesin who admitted working with the accused who used his house in Bulacan to take the kidnap victim.
“The records likewise show that the accused demanded money from the relatives of the victim through Smart Padala,” said the court.
However, the court said that circumstantial evidence show that “the victim was jkilled at the house of Armesin by accused Jimmy and alias ‘Paks’ as instructed by accused Alex.”
“When the SOCO (Scene of the Crime Operation) personnel went to the scene, they found a cadaver inside the septic tank,” said the judge.