Fate of suspect, baby hangs in court, DSWD

With her mother dead and her father in jail, who will take care of the couple’s  9-month-old daughter?

Social workers will discuss custody of the baby left behind in the death of a Japanese woman  who was stabbed dead allegedly by her Davao native husband last Sunday in Lapu-Lapu City after a quarrel over the man’s drinking binge.

Parents of  murder victim Kotoka Kajii Deinla will arrive in Cebu from Tokyo today.

The baby is  in the care of the Department of Social Welfare of Lapu-Lapu City for the meantime, said social  welfare officer June Andales.

The baby’s father, Dexter Louie Denila, is detained in the Lapu-Lapu city police office after he was  identified by their house boy as the one who attacked Kotoka with a kitchen knife in their bedroom.

A charge of parricide will be filed in court today against Dexter.

In yesterday’s inquest, he refused to give any statement to prosecutors.  The offense is non-bailable.

Japanese consul Yoshiaki Hata visited the Lapu-Lapu City police homicide section and met with Senior Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas, acting Lapu-Lapu City police chief.

“He was saddened by the incident but said the Japanese community wasn’t scared about the incident since it was a family matter,” Lawas said.

Kotoka’s remains lie in state at the Rolling Hills funeral homes.

Andales said the DSWD-Central Visayas office will hold a conference between the parents of Denila and Kajii to discuss  custody of the couple’s 9-month-old infant.

Dexter’s  older brother, a jail officer, said their parents may be unable to care for the child because they are too old.

The lone witness in the case, 18-year-old houseboy Jupel Baldoseno, is being considered for custody under the witness protection program.

For now, he’s staying in  the Lapu-Lapu City police precinct.

The houseboy is the only eyewitness to the episode of domestic violence that took place at dawn in the couple’s home in Dominque Subdivision, sitio Sudtongan, barangay Basak, Lapu-Lapu City.