Makati ‘chop-chop’ slay condemned by Taiwan

THE grisly killing of a woman by her Taiwanese husband, who confessed to the crime after her severed body parts were found in their Makati City residence, earned condemnation from his own government.

In a statement released Saturday, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (Teco) in the Philippines said “we have been deeply shocked and saddened by the recent killing of Mrs. Rowena Kuo and the subsequent mutilation of her body.”

The statement did not mention the name of the suspect—Yuan Chang Kuo—as it denounced the crime. “The ruthless homicide is abhorrent to this office and the Tai- wanese people and actually seldom happened in Taiwan.”

“Therefore, we wish to express our deepest condolences and sympathy to the next of kin of the victim at a time of grief and darkness,” said Teco, which serves as Taiwan’s de facto embassy in Manila. “As the case has already been handed over to the appropriate Philippine judiciary authorities, we have full confidence that the relevant Philippine judicial authorities will conduct a fair trial and render justice to this case.”

Yuan Chang Kuo, a 46-year-old surgeon who practiced his profession in mainland China, was charged with parricide last week in the city prosecutor’s office after the body parts of his wife were found in their house on Taylo Street in Barangay Pio del Pilar, Makati.

Rowena’s head and torso were the first to be found by daughter Joan Jane Tiongco in the stockroom on Feb. 23, a day after the victim went missing.

Authorities recovered the arms and legs from the septic tank two days later.

The Makati police said Kuo had admitted killing Rowena, his wife of 18 years, and that he was apparently driven by jealousy, based on accounts given by the victim’s relatives. The couple have four children.

A Teco official said the office has also extended assistance to the victim’s family by providing them a list of lawyers who can give them advice during the trial.