A Filipina, arrested in connection with the death of a Japanese couple, was observed purchasing daggers before the incident, according to Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega, citing reports from Japanese media.
The arrest follows the discovery of the bodies of Norihiro and Kimi Takahashi on January 16, 2024. De Vega revealed that local Japanese newspapers have also reported the detection of the DNA of Hazel Ann Baguisa Morales and her accomplice, Bryan Dela Cruz, at the couple’s residence, with Morales’s DNA matching that found on a murder weapon.
Despite these allegations, the Japanese police have yet to confirm these details with the Philippine Embassy. Initially, Morales and Dela Cruz were investigated for merely abandoning the Takahashis’ bodies. However, the emergence of new evidence, including CCTV footage of Morales purchasing daggers and the pair leaving the Takahashis’ house, has led to their investigation for murder.
The DFA official highlighted that decisions regarding charges of double murder are expected by the end of March 2024. He also clarified that, contrary to circulating social media posts, the accused Filipinos have not admitted to the crime.
The Department of Foreign Affairs had previously noted that the suspicion against Dela Cruz and Morales was solely for the abandonment of the bodies, but the recent evidence has intensified the scrutiny on them, leading to their rearrest earlier this month for further investigation into the murder of the Takahashi couple.