Japanese found dead in Mandaue City

By Ronron
March 15, 2005

Cebu - A 56-year-old Japanese national was found dead Sunday afternoon in Mandaue City, this province.

Mandaue City Police Station V Chief Alberto Abing said Hiroyoshi Saguchi, a resident of Toyoda-cho, Iwatagun-ken, Japan, died of natural cause as relayed to him by Scene of the Crime Operatives.

Saguchi was reportedly discovered lifeless by the Filipina live-in partner of his Japanese bestfriend, Fujio Sasaki, at the latter's apartelle in Barangay Paknaan, Mandaue City at around 1pm of March 13.

Abing said Saguchi, who arrived in Cebu last March 10 to visit Sasaki, had earlier complained of abdominal pains and loose bowel movement (LBM) after they ate breakfast at the Mactan Shrine in neighboring Lapu-lapu City last Saturday.

Unofficial reports received by Abing from the Region VII Police Crime Laboratory pointed to a pancreatic disorder as the cause of Saguchi's death. An inquiry made by Manila Shimbun yesterday at the Crime Laboratory regarding the same matter proved futile due to the absence of the medico-legal officer.

"Definitely, there is no foul play here because there were no physical injuries found on the victim's body and there were no signs of struggle inside his room," Abing told Manila Shimbun. Saguchi was occupying one of the three rooms in Sasaki's rented unit.

Based on the police blotter, Sasaki's live-in partner, Meldy Bongansiso, 21, tried to wake up Saguchi in the morning of March 13 for breakfast. But after receiving no response, Bongansiso left, thinking that Saguchi just wanted to sleep longer. It was when she tried to wake him up at noontime for lunch that she discovered Saguchi already stiff and breathless.

Police had no exact knowledge yet as to what the group ate for breakfast last Saturday that caused Saguchi's illness.

An attempt also by this reporter to get the story from Bongansiso and Sasaki yesterday was unsuccessful because the couple could not be located.

Abing said Sasaki and Bongansiso are not being investigated on the case.

Saguchi's body was subjected to autopsy and now lies at the Cebu Rolling Hills Funeral Homes. His family is expected to arrive here today (Wednesday) to fetch his remains.

Saguchi arrived in the country via Manila last March 7 and was due for departure on the 28th. He first came to the Philippines in 1997, based on his passport./DMS