Cops eye ‘male lover’ in Tadao Hayashi slay

Police investigators expressed optimism yesterday it won’t be long before they can arrest the killer of internationally —acclaimed Japanese harpist Tadao Hayashi, who was found dead inside his house in Caloocan City on Monday.

Caloocan City police chief Superintendent Benjardi Mantele yesterday said that aside from the physical evidence found in the scene of the crime, a description of the suspect made by a witness would hasten the arrest.

Police probers theorized that Hayashi, who is rumored to be homosexual, could have been killed by his "male lover" who also robbed him Sunday night.

Caloocan police Station Intelligence and Investigation Division (SIID) chief Superintendent Dionicio Borromeo said the Japanese Embassy, through Vice Consul Schinichi Nara, has offered to give a reward of P100,000 for any information leading to the arrest of the killer.

This brings the total reward to P200,000 as Caloocan Officer-in-Charge Reynaldo Malonzo offered a P100,000 bounty Monday.

Mantele released a cartographic sketch of a suspect whom a witness said has seen visiting Hayashi in his house at LD Village in Bagong Silang a week before and on the night he was murdered.

Probers said Hayashi could have been killed between 6 p.m. Sunday and 6 a.m. on Monday when his body was found by his personal assistant, Antonio Clet.

The police said Rolando Abu, a carpenter neighbor of Hayashi, said he saw the suspect arrive at Hayashi’s house at around 6 p.m.

Mantele said that base on the information gathered, the killer must have been known to the victim.

Japanese Embassy officials have also requested the Caloocan City police to allow its own team of Japanese police detectives to help arrest the suspect.

Nara, together with Police Inspector Soichi Izawa, met with Malonzo and Mantele to personally request for an update in the investigation of the case.

Mantele also disclosed that Hayashi could not have been hit by a hard blunt object as earlier believed. He said Scene of the Crime Office (SOCO) operatives told him Hayashi’s head was bashed hard against the floor several times leading to his death. This theory came about as probers found a blood-soaked face towel, which the suspect could have used to wipe the blood off his hands after the killing, in a nearby cabinet.

Borromeo said two sets of fingerprints were found by investigators. Also found were a water pitcher and a half-consumed pack of Champion blue cigarettes, reportedly Hayashi’s favorite brand.

Borromeo said they have sought the assistance of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for fingerprint matching.

Hayashi had been performing at the Clao Bar-Ristorante at the Dusit Hotel Nikko in Makati since June and had been going in and out of the Philippines for 15 years now.

Police said five years ago, Hayashi started to live in the house he bought in the village in Sitio Tala, Caloocan City.

Among his famous pieces were "Wave," "Christmas a la Tadao," "Standing Room Only," "Tadao’s Christmas Wish," "Best of Tadao Hayashi," "Harpiongon Pop" and his tribute to Filipino composers, "O.P.M. Special Maraming Salamat Po, Taday."