ANGELES CITY – City Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan will meet the leaders of the large Korean community here, immediately after arriving from Rome to assure them of the safety of expats and foreign visitors in this city.
Pamintuan relayed this message through his office following the involvement of policemen in crimes against Korean nationals.
The city mayor is in Rome where he participated in the peace talks between the Philippine government and National Democratic Front (NDF) that ended the third round of talks Wednesday.
“Scalawags and rogue policemen are derailing the anti-illegal drug war of the President, and should be treated in manners harsher than drug criminals,” the mayor said in his statement.
“I am dismayed and saddened by the alleged involvement of policemen in crimes against our friends from Korea who visit and have taken residence in our city,” he also stated.
A day before he left for Rome last Jan. 6, he met with key officers of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and assured that he will not tolerate wrongdoing involving local policemen.
Some policemen from the Angeles City Police Office Station 5 in Barangay Cuayan in this city, where the so-called “Korean Village” is located, were implicated in the illegal detention, extortion and robbery committed against three Korean nationals last December 30.
It was also in the same area where Korean businessman Jee Ick-Joo was abducted and killed by a police team allegedly led by SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel of the PNP Anti Illegal Drugs Group in a “tokhang for ransom” operations.
Pamintuan said he will set up a desk within the Mayor’s office to look into the welfare of Koreans in Angeles City.
He will also seek the help of the Korean community in setting up measures and mechanisms to ensure the safety of their nationals. (PNA) FPV/ZST/MDDR