Charges vs. Pinoys detained over Japanese couple’s death out March 23

In a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon interview on Monday, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said Bryan Jefferson Lising dela Cruz, 34, and Hazel Ann Baguisa Morales, 30, who were rearrested on March 1, are staying longer in police detention due to new evidence found against them. (PNA file photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler)

MANILA – Charges against the two Filipinos arrested in Japan for allegedly abandoning the bodies of a married couple in Tokyo are expected to be out by March 23.

In a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon interview on Monday, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said Bryan Jefferson Lising dela Cruz, 34, and Hazel Ann Baguisa Morales, 30, who were rearrested on March 1, are staying longer in police detention due to new evidence found against them.

They cannot receive visits from their families as they wait for the final decision regarding the investigation, de Vega said.

“Hindi sila nakakulong ngayon, puwede mong sabihing kulong pero hindi sa kulungan ng preso, police detention, iba ‘yun, iba ‘yung lugar noon (They are not imprisoned now, you can say detained, but not in the place for prisoners, police detention, it is a different place) for criminal investigation,” he added.

The new evidence was released through Japanese media but the police has not said anything about it.

“Ang evidence daw according to papers, ‘yung DNA raw nung dalawa, nakita sa residence at ‘yung sa babae pa raw kasama pa sa murder weapon sa kutsilyo. Meron din daw silang evidence via CCTV na bumili ‘yung babae ng mga daggers before nangyari ‘yung insidente (The evidence, according to papers, the DNA of the two were found at the residence and the woman’s DNA was even found in the murder weapon in the knife. There’s also another evidence via CCTV that the woman bought daggers before the incident),” he said.

De Vega said the two did not admit committing the murder of the Japanese couple.

“Wala silang inaamin sa pulis, wala silang inaamin na kasabwat sila rito (They did not admit anything to the police, they did not admit that they are accomplice to this) or what,” he said.

“According to Ambassador Albano in Japan, they have a few more days to wrap up the investigation, kung ano na ‘yung final decision ng piskal at malalaman natin roughly March 23 at kung sasampahan sila ng kaso na (the final decision of the fiscal, we’ll know roughly March 23 and if the case filed against them is) double murder,” he added.