THE woman who was arrested after physically and verbally assaulting a promodiser in one of the malls in Cebu was released on bail Friday, Dec. 13, 2019 -- six days after the incident on Dec. 7.
Medelina Yamazaki, a Filipina married to a Japanese, was allowed to post bail of P3,000 for each of the three cases filed against her: physical injuries, grave threats and malicious mischief.
Yamazaki was arrested after she struck the face of Jennifer Fabillar with the air humidifier the promodiser for Mia Maison Home Fragrance was selling.
Yamazaki told police that she got angry when Fabillar admonished her for the way she handled the device.
Fabillar, for her part, said she only asked Yamazaki to be careful so as not to spill water on the air humidifier.
The incident which was caught on video went viral on Facebook.
Mabolo Police Station Chief Investigator Jeffrey Larrobis said Yamazaki, through her lawyer, was able to post bail after spending six days in detention at the Mabolo Police Station.
Yamazaki’s relatives earlier asked authorities to subject her to a psychiatric evaluation, saying that the suspect was suffering from a form of mental illness.
After evaluation, psychiatrists at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) last Thursday morning, Dec. 12 found Yamazaki unfit to stand trial.
This even as Sherryl Guevarra, assistant operations manager of Mia Maison, said the company still intends to pursue the charges against Yamazaki.
“Kahit na magkaroon siya nang psychiatric evaluation o sa mental institution macoconfine (Even if she will have a psychiatric evaluation or even if she is confined in a mental institution), we will still pursue the case,” Guevarra said.
Police said Yamazaki will have to appear before the courts after 10 days to answer the charges that were already filed.
Mabolo Police Station Chief Dindo Alaras expects Yamazaki’s lawyers to use the VSMMC medical certificate as proof of her inability to stand trial.
Yamazaki was found by VSMMC doctors to have bipolar disorder and was recommended to be confined in a mental institution.
Her family, on the other hand, said she suffers from postpartum depression after giving birth to her child and was maltreated when she was still young. (JCT / RHB)