Teen, boyfriend charged for Japanese businessman’s murder

MANILA, Philippines - The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has filed criminal charges against eight suspects in the killing of a Japanese businessman and his girlfriend, whose bodies remain missing, an official said yesterday.

Ashley Okada, 19, and her 20-year-old boyfriend, Don Raleigh Reyes, were charged with double murder for killing her adoptive father, Yuji Okada, and his girlfriend, Honeylyn Cirunay. They remain at large.

Ashley, who was reportedly four months pregnant at the time the crime was committed, was also charged with parricide.

Reyes’ father, Don Neil dela Peña; Luisito Avellaneda; Vidasto Tena; Eduardo Manayon; Manuel Tolentino Jr. and an unidentified male suspect were also charged with double murder for helping dump the victims’ bodies.

The complaint was filed last Monday at the Parañaque City prosecutor’s office. 

NBI Death Investigation Unit chief Joel Tovera said they decided to file the case even in the absence of the bodies of the two victims. “Based on our evaluation of the case, there is sufficient circumstantial evidence,” he said. 

Records showed that the two victims were killed in their home in Paraaque last June 28 and their bodies were dumped off the coast of Polillo Island three days later.

Citing the confession of Dela Peña, Tovera said the victims were in their home in Parañaque City last June 28 when Cirunay had an argument with Ashley. 

Reyes, who was with Ashley, strangled Cirunay. Tovera said Okada tried to stop Reyes, but the suspect turned on the Japanese businessman.

After the killing, Reyes allegedly called his father, who came to the crime scene and put the bodies in the trunk of his car.

The three suspects, according to Tovera, called Tolentino, who met with Avellaneda, Tena and Manayon and hired them to dump the bodies.

Tovera said the three men surrendered to the NBI and admitted that the bodies were dumped in the sea off Polillo Island in Quezon last July 1.