Killing of Japanese woman: Witness seeks DOJ protection

CEBU, Philippines - The house helper, who witnessed the killing of his Japanese employers last Monday dawn, wants to be included in the Witness Protection Program of the Department of Justice.

Jupel Baldosano, 18, was interviewed by officials from the DOJ yesterday, said Sr. Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas, acting director of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office.

Baldosano claimed to have seen his employer, Kotoka Kajii-Denila, a Japanese national, being stabbed to death by her Filipino husband, Dexter Louie Denila.

Parricide charges were filed against the suspect yesterday afternoon at the Lapu-Lapu City Prosecutor’s Office.

The parents of the victim as well as her brother are arriving tonight from Japan, said Lawas, who was able to talk with Japanese Consul Yoshiaki Hata.

The consul told Lawas that the family of the victim would be meeting the police official on Thursday.

The acting police chief also said that the Japanese community is saddened about the incident, but are not alarmed.

Witness protection

Lawas said they have not heard of any threats to Baldosano’s life yet.

“Wala pa hinoon makadawat og hulga sa iyang kina-buhi si Baldosano, pero importante kaayo nga duna na kita’y mga pagpangamdam sa bisan unsang mga hitabo,” (Baldosano has not yet received any threats to his life, but it is important that he prepare for any eventuality), said Lawas.

  Lawas said Baldosano told police investigators that he is now concerned for his safety and also his financial needs.

The incident

The victim was allegedly stabbed several times by her husband last Monday dawn at their residence in St. Dominic Subdivision located in Barangay Basak after she scolded him for his drunkenness.

Dexter arrived home at around 2:45 a.m. and when Kotoka opened the door, she reportedly scolded him for being drunk again.

While the victim was walking up to their room on the second floor of their house, Dexter allegedly took a knife from the kitchen and stabbed his wife several times inside their room.

Baldosana, who slept at the servant’s quarters in the ground floor, went upstairs to check when he heard cries for help and allegedly saw his male employer pulling Kotoka’s hair and stabbing her.

The helper then grabbed the nine-month-old baby girl of the couple, who fell to the floor from their bed during the commotion and ran out of the house for safety.

Sr. Insp. Zenaido Pastorfide, of the LLCPO, said that they used the testimony of Baldosano in filing the charges against the suspect.

Knife found

The police also recovered yesterday morning the knife that was allegedly used to kill the woman. This was found by neighbors outside the subdivision.

Baldosano positively identified the knife as the one he saw Dexter used to allegedly kill his wife.

The suspect has denied killing his wife and claimed that he saw her lying on the bed with a knife on her chest when he entered their room. Dexter alleged that he pulled out the knife and ran outside to seek help.

Neighbors said that they did not hear him call for help and he was in fact walking on the streets of their village when responding policemen arrived.

They arrested him later.

Pastorfide said that the knife as well as the blood-stained shirt and short pants of the suspect are now at the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory to ascertain that the blood found on the items match that of the victim.

The residence of the couple has been cordoned to preserve the crime scene.

Pastorfide also said that the baby is now in the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWD).

The victim, who was 32 years old, worked as a freelance dive instructor while her husband is not working.

The family was supposed to migrate to Japan next month. —/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)