Debt likely motive in ‘chop-chop’ case

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February 21, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The alleged mastermind in the “chop-chop” killing of a Chinese stemmed from a fight over debt, the National Capital Region Police Office said.

NCRPO spokesperson Maj. Hazel Asilo said the victim and principal suspect, known only as Xiangyang and Davao, respectively, were drinking on the night the crime occurred.

“While drinking, Davao tried to collect Xiangyang’s debt until they quarreled and the suspect stabbed the victim,” Asilo told reporters yesterday.

Police are determining why Davao had to dismember his friend’s body, wrap it in a garbage bag and stuff it inside a drum, which authorities discovered in Binondo in Manila on Feb. 15.

Aside from Davao, police arrested a 64-year-old man named Victor who allegedly helped in transporting the drum to Binondo from a condominium along Roxas Boulevard where Xiangyang was killed.

Meanwhile, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) said Davao is holding a “forged Taiwanese passport.”

In a statement, TECO said the principal suspect admitted that he is Chinese and failed to provide a valid Taiwan national identification number.

“He further confessed that he purchased the fraudulent Taiwanese passport through Telegram,” the TECO said.

Pasay police chief Col. Joselito de Sesto recommended that TECO formalize its observations in writing.

The two suspects are facing murder charges and are currently being held at the Pasay police station.

The NCRPO said Davao has not been subjected to rigorous questioning as he has no legal counsel yet.