PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said the timing of the deportation of high-profile Japanese fugitives involved in robbery incidents in Japan with his official working visit was just a mere coincidence.
Responding to a question whether the deportation of the four Japanese was an act of goodwill, Marcos said efforts to deport them were already in motion before his Japan trip.
But the President, in an interview while enroute to Tokyo, acknowledged that the deportation “would clear the decks” leading to his talk with Japanese officials.
He added the deportation of the fugitives, believed to be remotely running a robbery syndicate in Japan while in detention in the Philippines, was actually a request from the Japanese government.
“Well, it was actually in the process already before the Japan trip was even planned…it was just by coincidence that it happened,” he said.
The Japanese government had sought the deportation of the fugitives, who are accused of running a robbery syndicate through encrypted messaging.
Two of the four Japanese fugitives were deported last Tuesday while the other two were deported Wednesday night.
