ZAMBOANGA CITY, 12 September 2004 - Four people were killed and three others were wounded, including a Japanese man and his Filipino wife, in a suspected burglar attack in the southern port city of Davao, police said yesterday.
The attack occurred late Friday in the couple’s house in Lanzones village and police said they have identified the assailants, although they remain at-large.
Police identified the Japanese man as Tamato Haseguchi, but officials did not give details about the foreigner.
Laza said the attackers were known to be drug addicts and that Haseguchi’s wife Grace Lacorte have identified them.
“There is an ongoing operation to track down the suspects,” Superintendent Conrado Laza, the chief of police, said.
He said the suspects barged into the house and attacked the victims in their sleep with steel pipes. Police identified those killed as Diosdado Lacorte and his wife Evelyn, Keneth Lacorte and Julius Villarmina.
The third wounded victim was also identified as Engelyn Cabrera. One police investigator said the motive of the attack could be burglary, but authorities were also looking into other motives.
“We are looking into several angles here, and burglary is one,” Senior Inspector Vicente Danao told the Arab News. Police did not say if the Japanese man was living in Davao City or only vacationing.
