JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Tuesday warned lawyers of four Japanese fugitives accused of remotely ordering robberies in their home country while under detention in Manila to stop assisting their clients in “trumped-up” charges just to delay their deportation.

“We are of the impression that these cases (against the Japanese) were invented or are not real. These were contrived cases filed against them just to keep them in the Philippines. Their lawyers specialize in these cases, and many of them will lose their licenses if they continue doing this. We will file cases even against the lawyers if they [insist] on filing cases which are contrived,” Remulla said in a press briefing.

The four Japanese are alleged to be members of a “syndicate” behind a series of robberies in Japan.

One of them is Inamura Kiyoto, who is the 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 (RA) 9262 or Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) but was dismissed by a court in Makati City on January 26.

On the other, Kiyoto’s alleged leader, Yuri Watanabe with the alias “Luffy,” is facing a separate criminal charge before the Pasay RTC (Regional Trial Court), also for VAWC.

Luffy was also ordered for deportation for illegally entering the Philippines and 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.

Kiyoto and Luffy are being suspected as among four men detained in Manila who Japanese police have requested be deported to Japan.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Hector Lawas