TWO of the four Japanese wanted by Tokyo for masterminding a string of robbery cases in Japan while under the custody of the Bureau of Immigration were deported yesterday.
Fujita Toshiya and Imamura Kiyoto, both 38, were escorted by Japanese police officials aboard a Japan Airlines flight that took off from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport yesterday morning.
Toshiya, arrested by immigration personnel in Mabini, Batangas on February 21, 2021, has been tagged by Japanese authorities as a senior member of an organized fraud group engaged in phone-related scams. An arrest warrant was issued against him by a court in Tokyo.
Kiyoto was apprehended last December 26 at the NAIA while attempting to depart for Macau. He also has a warrant of arrest issued by a Tokyo court for theft.
The other two Japanese in BI custody, Tomonobu Saito and Yuki Watanabe, will be deported Wednesday night, according to DOJ spokesperson Jose Dominic Clavano.
“The flight as discussed by the Secretary will be Japanese Air Lines flight 078 which is set to leave at 11:45 p.m., tomorrow evening,” Clavano said.
A local court dismissed charges of violation of Republic Act 9262, or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act (VAWC) against the two, paving the way for their deportation before President Marcos Jr. leaves for Japan today, Wednesday, for a four-day working visit. Two estafa and one light threat cases against Toshiya were also dismissed.
“Today, we deport Imamura Kiyoto and Fujita Toshiya as they have been cleared of any legal impediment. They will be on Japan Airlines flight 746 which is set to depart at 9:40 a.m. to Narita, Japan. They will be escorted by the Japanese police who arrived from Japan last night,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said in an 8 a.m. press briefing at NAIA.
Sixteen Japanese policemen arrived in the country last Monday, with nine accompanying Kiyoto and Toshiya while the rest will wait for the two other fugitives — Watanabe and Saito.
“Ahead of our President’s visit to Japan, we at the Department, together with the Bureau of Immigration and the National Bureau of Investigation, hope that this will not only strengthen the ties between the Philippine and Japanese governments, we hope that this shows the sincerity and genuine effort to curb any illicit or illegal maneuvers meant to erode the credibility of our justice system,” Remulla added.
Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said: “The duo were deported for violation of terms and conditions of their visa for being a fugitive, as well as being a risk to public interest.”
CASES JUNKED
Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 109 Judge Christian Castaneda junked the VAWC cases against Watanabe and Saito, paving the way for their deportation.
“Finally, this Court recognizes the importance of the relationship of the Philippines towards the international community, specifically our country’s commitment to the deportation of the accused. Hence, this Court will not be used as a hindrance to the said deportation,” part of the Pasay RTC ruling said.
“The Pasay Regional Trial Court Branch 109 released two orders dismissing the cases or upholding the motion to dismiss filed by prosecutors in the cases of the people of the Philippines versus Tomonobu Saito and Yuki Watanbe. So, there is no more legal impediment to the deportation of the two Japanese fugitives and we expect them to be deported tomorrow morning at the same time as to what happened today when we deported the first two,” Remulla said in a press briefing.
Remulla also downplayed any efforts to delay the deportation, such as the private complainants filing a motion for reconsideration of the Pasay court’s ruling.
“I don’t see it happening anymore, maybe the court will give them their time of day but it looks like it’s a done deal. The court has spoken very eloquently about why they issued this order,” Remulla said.
Earlier, Clavano confirmed the court’s ruling.
“Confirming that the Pasay RTC has dismissed the case again both Saito and Watanabe. They are cleared for deportation,” Clavano said.
Defense lawyer Eljun Rico said he respect the court’s ruling, adding: “As I have said earlier, it is up to the wisdom of the state.”
“On the part of the defense, I will not pose any objection thereto. We respect and I will abide by the ruling of the court and as the case stand, the case against my clients were dismissed by the court. The court has already spoken,” he said.
Japanese police have sought the deportation of Watanabe, alias “Luffy,” the alleged mastermind of robberies in several prefectures in Japan while under immigration custody here.
Remulla said Watanabe has a summary deportation order dated May 28, 2021 for being an illegal entrant and a fugitive from justice in connection with the use of counterfeit documents and theft charges in Japan.
Watanabe and the three other Japanese fugitives allegedly used an encrypted messaging app in detention to communicate with their cohorts in their country for the robberies.
Remulla said a total of 24 cellphones and two tablets were recovered by authorities from the four Japanese in their detention cell at the BI Warden Facility in Taguig City during the January 31 Oplan Greyhound operation targeting contraband items inside the detention facility.
Remulla said the cellphones have been turned over to the Japanese police to aid them in their investigation.
MARCOS VISIT
Remulla said he does not expect the issue on the deportation of the fugitives to be raised by Japanese officials in the President’s working visit to Tokyo.
But he said the deportation sends a message the Philippines will not allow itself to be used as hiding place for foreign fugitives.
“Let this serve as a signal to the international community that we are willing to cooperate in the fight against criminality. The Philippines continues to fight a common enemy,” he said.
Remulla said the deportation will also send a signal to lawyers representing foreign fugitives who are filing frivolous suits to delay their deportation proceedings.
BI UNIT DEACTIVATED
Remulla also said he signed an order yesterday deactivating the BI Ports Operation Division as part of the ongoing reform in the agency.
“One office at the BI will be deactivated, the ports operation division,” he said.
Remulla said the order will take away the “centralization” in the operation of immigration offices in ports and airports and ensure “command responsibility” for everyone.
He said the unit has seen its shares of controversies in the past, among them the involvement of some of the unit’s personnel assigned at NAIA in the so-called “pastillas scheme” where foreigners, mostly Chinese, were charged P10,000 to P20,000 in return for facilitating their entry to the country.
Remulla vowed there will be “no sacred cow” in the ongoing probe to determine the liability of BI personnel assigned in its Warden Facility after contraband items, including communication gadgets, were recovered.
Last Friday, the head of the Warden Facility and 35 others were sacked after contraband items were discovered from detained foreigners.
