MANILA - The Philippine National Police has relieved the police chief of Angeles, Pampanga over the abduction of 3 Korean nationals allegedly at the hands of his subordinates.

PNP-Central Luzon director, Chief Inspector Aaron Aquino cited "command responsibility" in his relief order for Angeles police chief, Senior Supt. Sidney Villaflor.

Villaflor will be replaced by Senior Supt. Jose Hidalgo.

CCTV footage earlier showed 8 police officers arriving in two cars at a residence in Friendship Plaza in Angeles City where the 3 South Koreans were staying while on vacation in the Philippines.

The footage showed one of the Koreans running from the police who had his gun out.

The cops claimed that the South Koreans were involved in illegal gambling but had no arrest order or a search warrant.

The policemen allegedly took golf equipment, shoes, jewelry, and laptops from the house then took the 3 to the police station where they were held for 7 hours.

In a statement, the Koreans said they gave P10,000 and another P300,000 they borrowed from a friend after the police kept asking them for money.

• RELATED STORY: PNP to fire 7 cops who kidnapped Koreans

The kidnap-extortion incident is separate from the "tokhang for ransom" case of murdered businessman Ick-joo Jee, who was kidnapped by suspected police officers also in Friendship Plaza last October 18, 2016.

The South Korean Foreign Ministry said Jee was killed on the same day he was kidnapped, allegedly inside PNP Headquarters in Camp Crame.

• READ: 'Tokhang-for-ransom': Timeline of South Korean businessman's abduction, killing

-- With a report from Henry Atuelan, DZMM