2 Filipinos tagged in Japan murders
TWO FILIPINOS who had been arrested for abandoning corpses in Japan are now being investigated for killing a married couple in Tokyo last month, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Sunday.
“We will see in the next weeks what will be the final charges to be filed against them,” Philippine Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo A. de Vega told BusinessWorld in a WhatsApp message.
The two Filipinos, who were already detained for abandoning the bodies of 55-year-old Norihiro Takahashi and his wife Kimie, 52, are also facing possible breaking and entering and murder charges in the coming weeks, said Mr. De Vega.
Mr. De Vega noted that prosecutors have three days to file charges for the crimes or request for a 10-day extension to investigate and another 10 days if they still do not finish the probe.
Foreign Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary Bryan Lao Dexter said last month that one of the Filipinos had denied accusations of her involvement in the crimes. Fresh arrest warrants were issued against the two last Friday.
“We are ready to continue providing [legal] assistance [to the Filipinos],” Mr. De Vega said.
Earlier, Kyodo News reported that the bodies, which were found by the couple’s son in the bathroom on Jan. 18, showed multiple stab wounds and signs of struggle. — John Victor D. Ordoñez