Crack teams formed to get Chung’s killers

Metro Manila police chief Deputy Director General Edgar Aglipay formed yesterday six crack police teams to go after members of the "Ativan Gang," believed to be behind the death of Chung Young Ho, Third Secretary of the Korean Embassy in Manila last June 7.

Aglipay said the six police teams coming from the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO), the Makati City police and the Southern Police District (SPD) are presently conducting relentless follow-up operations to get Chung’s killers.

"They are working separately and have been reporting to me the progress of their operations on an hourly basis," said Aglipay as he expressed confidence they will be able to make arrests soon.

Earlier, Philippine Naitonal Police (PNP) chief Director General Leandro Mendoza put up the reward money to speed up the arrest of the suspects identified as Rocky Soriano, alias Robert Sambili; Gerardo Lazaro alias Rolly; Rodrigo Fabricante; Lourdes Crudo and a certain George.

"We are hoping that the reward will encourage the public to relay important information leading to the arrest of the suspects," said Aglipay, adding that he received reports that Chung’s killers have already fled to the provinces.

The five suspects were identified through a gallery of rouge criminals being kept by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG). Two other suspects remained unidentified.

Aglipay said they already have strong leads on the whereabouts of the five suspects and an operation is now underway to put them under police custody.

Chung was last seen alive last June 6 in the company of Sambili and another Korean national, Chun Han Young.

The next day, Chung’s body was recovered in Marikina City. He was positively identified by an official of the Korean Embassy in a funeral parlor where his body was brought by the Marikina City police.

In the aftermath of Chung’s death, Aglipay directed the 37 station commanders in the metropolis to organize Police Tourist Protection Sections (PTPS) to secure all foreign tourists in their areas of responsibility and to prevent the "Ativan Gang" from striking.

The PTPS will be working under the operations division of the five police districts, said Aglipay.

"We have to protect tourists visiting our country for us to convince foreigners to plane in and take a look at our famous tourist spots," Aglipay said in an interview.