The Murder of a Japanese in Ubay, Bohol IslandBy Arlaine Cecile Berdin In response to the request of the consulate-general of Japan in the Philippines, Governor Erico Aumentado and Ubay Mayor Eutiquio Bernales are set to negotiate with the funeral parlor in Ubay to lower the accumulated charges for funeral services for a Japanese murder victim.
The billing reportedly reached P250,000 already as of September 30.
After receiving the letter of the consulate-general of Japan in the Philippines on October 29, Aumentado immediately called Bernales to coordinate for the planned meeting with the management of the funeral parlor.
The consulate-general of Japan in the Philippines told the governor that he hoped the incident would not affect the relations of the two countries.
One Joseph Cerelijia, the cousin of Japanese victim Masaki Yushimura’s live-in partner, Juliet Dumduman, now face murder raps along with his bodyguard- -Esmeraldo Chavez- -who served as accomplice.
Cerelijia denied the accusation, saying he was not at the scene of the crime when it happened in the night of August 14.
But Third Assistant Provincial Prosecutor Margie Tan-Alvaro found the defense of alibi as the weakest.
Alvaro explained that for the alibi to prosper, it is not enough for the respondent to prove that he was somewhere else when the crime was committed.
In her six-page resolution dated August 27, 2009, Alvaro recommended that a case of murder be filed against Cerelijia and Chavez before the Regional Trial Court based in Talibon.
“He must likewise prove that he could not have been physically present at the scene of the crime or its immediate vicinity at the time of its commission. The acts before, during and after the crime clearly indicate a joint purpose, a unity of action and the concurrence of intent,†according to the assistant prosecutor.
Police Inspector John Gelbert Basalo of the Bohol Police Provincial Office will be filing the case before the RTC in Talibon.
Dumduman and Yushimura came home on July 14 this year to wait for the schedule that she would deliver their baby as was then nine months pregnant.
After Yushimura’s one-week leave of absence from work expired, he returned to Japan and came back on August 7, two days after Dumduman gave birth to their baby boy.
Dumduman’s younger sister, Rosalyn, who had helped bring Yushimura to the hospital where he died of gunshot wounds, testified that at a distance of 15 meters, she saw the suspects leaving the crime scene when it happened.
She said both had guns in their hands.
In the afternoon of August 14, Cerelijia was reportedly irked when Yushimura refused to put Juliet on the line when the sister of the accused, Bonifacia Hamamoto, called through cellphone from Japan.
Juliet was having her siesta then when Cerelijia arrived at around 2 pm and Yushimura did not want her to be disturbed.
But when the accused flared up, they were frightened and woke Juliet up.
In their conversation, Bonifacia allegedly advised Juliet to leave Yushimura, as she commented on the actuations of the Japanese.
At around 8 pm that day, Cerelijia and his bodyguard allegedly came and shot the victim twice while Juliet was in the kitchen and he (Yushimura) was boiling water.
Juliet rushed to Yushimura’s location and saw him slumped on a wooden chair with blood dripping on his face.
She noticed two persons with semblance of the two accused standing near Yushimura with guns in their hands.
Paraffin test showed Cerelijia positive of gunpowder and Chavez negative.
In his version of the story, Cerelijia said he was at the fishpond of Allan Templa in barangay Fatima with Chavez until 11:30that evening.
Chavez did not submit a counter-affidavit. (AV/PGMA)
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