Japanese suspected of ordering killings of 2 nationals in Manila
Philippine police said Tuesday that a Japanese national living in Japan is highly likely to have ordered the fatal shootings of two Japanese men in Manila last week.
At a press conference, authorities said that the Japanese person is believed to have hired Philippine men, who were arrested on Monday, to kill the two Japanese men due to financial troubles between them.
The arrested suspects were paid a reward of 9 million pesos, or about 23 million yen, with an initial payment of 10,000 pesos.
According to police and other sources, 50-year-old Albert Manabat is suspected of carrying out the shootings. His 62-year-old brother, Abel Manabat, a tour guide, was also arrested.
The Japanese person who ordered the shootings is believed to have visited the Philippines frequently. Abel was a driver for the person during a trip and was asked to kill the two Japanese men.
Authorities identified the victims as Hideaki Satori, 53, from Fukuoka Prefecture in southwestern Japan, and Akinobu Nakayama, 41, from Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan. They were shot and killed Friday night, soon after getting out of a taxi near their hotel.
The two victims, who often visited the Philippines to go to a casino, entered the country on Thursday, the police said. Satori was a system engineer, according to the police.
The police referred the suspects to prosecutors on Tuesday, and are investigating the whereabouts of another male Philippine accomplice. Prosecutors questioned the brothers on suspicion of murder and other charges the same day.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
