The Philippine National Police (PNP) has tapped the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to help track down a Japanese national accused of ordering the murder of two of his fellow citizens in Manila last week.
“Coordination work is already ongoing,” PNP chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III confirmed over the weekend. “We’ll do everything that we have to do, so that we can completely give justice to the victim.”
According to the Manila Police District (MPD), one of the suspects confessed that the killings were commissioned by a Japan-based man known only as “Boss.” The contract was reportedly worth ₱9 million.
The victims, aged 41 and 53, were shot dead inside a hotel along Malvar Street in Malate on August 15, just hours after arriving in the country. Police said a Filipino guide had taken them from the airport to a hotel in Pasay before they were brought to Manila, where the attack happened.
Authorities have since arrested brothers Albert and Abel Manabat, aged 50 and 62, who now face murder charges filed before the Manila City Prosecutor’s Office. A third suspect remains at large.
MPD spokesman Maj. Philipp Ines revealed that one suspect described the victims as “pasaway” or hardheaded in relation to their company dealings. Investigators are still determining whether the promised payout was ever delivered.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) strongly condemned the killings, noting that foreign embassies had already issued travel advisories following the attack. The agency urged swift action from authorities to resolve the case, warning of the potential impact on the country’s image as a safe destination.
