Nine days after a South Korean businessman was killed in Valenzuela City, Valenzuela police arrested eight suspects, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Tuesday.

In a statement, PNP chief General Debold Sinas said a police officer was among the eight suspects arrested for the death of Nam Sunuk in Valenzuela City last February 13.

Sinas said Police Corporal Darwin Garcia Castillo was an alleged cohort in the killing of Nam Sunuk.

Other suspects were Kimberly Radores, Rica Estrella, Rusty Hernadez Cruz, Josephine Pidlaoan Nape, Leana Marie Nagaño aka "Yana", Bryan Saga Gulfo, and Bryan Remlona Escamillas.

Sinas did not say where Castillo was assigned but he said Castillo with Radores and Estrella executed extra-judicial confessions detailing their knowledge surrounding the death of Nam.

Sinas said investigators of the Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) Nam Sunuk have recovered a pistol and vehicle believed to have been used in the crime.

He said based on the initial information and evidence police gathered, the victim was killed allegedly by Gulfo and Escamillas in the backseat of his car in the evening of February 13 along Padrigal Extension, Maysan, Valenzuela City.

Sinas said Castillo was said to be the backup of the two suspects during the incident while the others were contact persons and facilitators.

SITG Nam Sunuk is looking into other leads and information to establish an airtight case against the suspects which includes email exchanges between the victim and some suspects. Ella Dionisio/DMS