Six individuals have been convicted by a Manila court for the 2014 kidnapping and murder of Korean student Lee Ji Won, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Monday.
In a 21-page ruling, the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 47 found Ronel Mongado, Rowel Mongado, Alex Buenaobra, Jimmy Manlapaz, and Sergio Natad guilty of kidnapping for ransom with homicide.
They were sentenced to reclusion perpetua, meaning 20 years and one day to 40 years in prison, without the possibility of parole.
The court also ordered the convicted to pay Lee’s heirs P300,000 in damages, broken down into P100,000 each for civil indemnity, moral damages, and exemplary damages.
The ruling states that the accused “illegally kidnapped and deprived the victim, Ji Won Lee, of her liberty for purposes of extorting ransom; and thereafter, was killed during detention.”
According to testimony, Lee’s brother recounted how he had accompanied his sister to the condominium lobby on March 3, 2014, where she was abducted after getting into a taxi.
He was able to identify the taxi’s license plate number and its driver. This testimony was backed by a state witness, formerly a member of the accused group, who also identified the five men and revealed key details of the crime.
The witness claimed Buenaobra had offered his house as a hiding place for Lee after the abduction in exchange for P1 million. He further testified that Buenaobra ordered Lee’s execution.
Meanwhile, Jullie-Ann Traboco, who had been guarding Lee during her captivity, was convicted as an accessory to the crime. She received a sentence of 5 to 8 years in prison and was ordered to pay Lee’s heirs P12,500 each for civil indemnity, moral damages, and exemplary damages.
All awarded damages will accrue a 6% annual legal interest starting from the finality of the decision, which was issued on February 18, 2025.