Veteran journalist Ramon Tulfo has revisited a controversial case from 2016 involving the killing of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo inside Camp Crame, criticizing former Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief and now Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa for his alleged indifference at the time.
In his recent remarks following Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin’s confirmation of a manhunt order against former Police Lt. Col. Rafael Dumlao III—the alleged mastermind of the crime—Tulfo reflected on how then-General Dela Rosa handled the case. The murder occurred just a few meters from Dela Rosa’s official residence, known as the “White House,” within the PNP national headquarters.
“I remember this case as if it happened only yesterday,” Tulfo said. “Bato was indifferent to the murder. Just days after, he was photographed dancing like a chimpanzee at a concert.” Tulfo expressed disbelief at the lack of urgency and seriousness shown by Dela Rosa during such a sensitive time.
He emphasized that any other PNP chief would have been deeply concerned, considering that the killing occurred within the police’s most secure compound. Tulfo said he had called out Dela Rosa in his column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer at the time, but the criticism went unacknowledged.
Tulfo also recalled another incident under Dela Rosa’s watch—the violent dispersal of protesters near the U.S. Embassy, where a police van rammed into demonstrators. Tulfo said he personally brought up the issue to Dela Rosa during a breakfast meeting in China, where they were part of President Rodrigo Duterte’s first official delegation. “There was no trace of anxiety on his face,” he said.
“If I were him, I would have flown back to Manila immediately,” Tulfo added. “But Bato didn’t. Talk about irresponsibility.”
Tulfo also mentioned rejecting the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) post that Duterte had offered him, believing he would have clashed with “Digong’s fair-haired boy.”
He concluded by saying, “Yes, Bato should be served the arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court if only for being a grossly irresponsible PNP chief.”
Tulfo’s statements have reignited debate on police accountability and leadership during Duterte’s administration.