Police in the northern Philippine province of Quezon are investigating the deaths of a Japanese woman and her Filipino mother. They say the mother’s sister is a person of interest, but that she was hospitalized following a suicide attempt.
Police say the bodies of Motegi Mai, a 26-year-old Japanese national, and Lorry Litada, a 54-year-old Philippine national, were discovered buried in the backyard of a house on Thursday.
Investigators say the two lived in Japan, but were reported missing during a visit to the Philippines last month. Police began searching for them at the request of relatives.
The two were eventually found buried on the premises of a house owned by Litada’s sister.
Police say the sister may be connected to the deaths. But investigators say she was taken to a hospital after attempting suicide on Friday.
Local media outlets quoted police as saying that the mother and daughter were carrying 5 million Philippine pesos, or about 90,000 dollars, in cash to buy land. But the money was reportedly missing.
The reports also said police suspect there was financial trouble between the two victims and the sister and her husband.
