2 more to be deported Feb. 8

THE Philippines on Tuesday deported two Japanese fugitives wanted in their home country allegedly over a series of robberies and telecommunications fraud.

In a news briefing at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla identified the Japanese deportees as Imamura Kiyoto and Toshiya Fujita.

The Japanese fugitives were brought back to Japan by a contingent from the Japanese police, Remulla said.

The two were among the four Japanese whom their government has asked the Philippines to deport.

On Monday, the Taguig Metropolitan Trial Court (MeTC) Branch 116 dismissed the case filed against Fujita after the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a motion to withdraw the criminal information on January 31, 2023. He was wanted in Japan for his alleged complicity in an organized syndicate preying on Japanese citizens in telecommunications fraud.

“The motion to withdraw stated the ground that there is a consistent absence on the part of the private complainant. However, the court made an independent study, a revisit of the probable cause, and finds that there is none. That is the reason why the motion is granted and it has the effect of a dismissal of the case,” said clerk of court Merly Pagkalinawan.

“None of the parties appeared, the complainant, the accused, even if there is counsel representing them, there are no appearances,” Pagkalinawan continued.

On the other hand, Kiyoto was a subject of a summary deportation order dated Jan. 30, 2020 due to cases of theft and robberies in his country.

He was charged with violation of Republic Act 9262 or Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC), but was dismissed by a court in Makati City on January 26.

Kiyoto’s alleged leader, Yuri Watanabe a. k. a “Luffy,” is facing a separate criminal charge before the Pasay Regional Trial Court, also for VAWC.

Luffy was also ordered to be deported for illegally entering the Philippines and for charges of counterfeiting and theft in Japan.

He is believed to have remotely given instructions to those carrying out the robberies in Japan via an encrypted messaging app from an immigration facility in Manila.

Under the rules, they cannot be deported if they have pending cases in the Philippines.

In a statement, Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco shared that the Japanese fugitives, both 38, were deported on board a Japan Airlines to Tokyo.

Tansingco relayed that they have prepared maximum security to ensure smooth deportation of the high profile crime suspects.

Both Fujita and Imamura have been tagged by the Japanese government as fugitives from justice, for having warrants issued against them.

Fujita was apprehended by the BI Fugitive Search Unit at Barangay Anilao Proper in Mabini Batangas last February 21, 2021, and has been tagged by Japanese authorities as a senior member of an organized fraud group. An arrest warrant was reportedly issued against him in Tokyo.

Imamura was arrested a day after Christmas in 2019, after allegedly attempting to depart at the NAIA Terminal 3, via a Cebu Pacific flight bound for Macau. He reportedly faces a warrant of arrest in his country for theft.

Both faced a local case in the Philippines which was subsequently dismissed.

The duo were deported for violation of terms and conditions of their respective visas for being fugitives, as well as for being risks to public interest.

“While the identity of “Luffy” is not yet confirmed, we are working with the Department of Justice and the Japanese authorities to be able to expedite the deportation to give more clarity to this case,” said Tansingco.

2 more Japanese fugitives to be deported Wednesday

The two other key suspects remain in the BI’s facility in Bicutan pending the resolution of their local cases.

“The arrest and deportation of these fugitives is a huge win for the Philippine government, as we will not rest until these international criminals are sent back and banned from our country,” said Tansingco.

The two more Japanese fugitives wanted in their home country for alleged robberies will be deported February 8, Remulla disclosed.

This as the Pasay City Regional Trial Court upheld the motion to dismiss the local cases of the Japanese as sought by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

“The Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 109 released two orders dismissing the cases or upholding the motion to dismiss filed by prosecutors in the cases of People of the Philippines vs. Tomonobu Saito and Yuki Watanabe. So there’s no more legal impediment to the deportation of the two Japanese fugitives and we expect them to be deported tomorrow (February 8) morning at the same time as to what happened today (February 7) when we first deported the two, “ Remulla said.

Reports have it that Saito and Watanabe are facing cases for violation of the Violence against Women and Children (VAWC) law, which Remulla theorized as contrived cases.

“Tomorrow (Wednesday) ang flight. Morning or evening. We’re not sure yet but they will be deported tomorrow for sure and they’ll be back in Japan in a short amount time,” Remulla said. By HECTOR LAWAS & JUN I. LEGASPI