DOJ eyes deportation of Japanese fugitives
MANILA — The Department of Justice is eyeing deportation of four Japanese fugitives next week as additional cases, which have been keeping them in Philippine soil, have been dismissed.
In an interview with reporters, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Friday that two to three cases involving two Japanese detainees, still unnamed, were dismissed by Bacolod courts.
Remulla said the cases involved violence against women and their children, but he did not disclose other details.
The Japanese government has been coordinating with the Philippines’ DOJ for the deportation of four Japanese nationals, detained at the Bureau of Immigration Warden Facility. One of them is believed to be alias “Luffy,” who is behind a string of robbery operations in Japan.
However, Remulla stressed the foreign fugitives cannot be sent back to Japan with pending cases.
Earlier Friday, the Taguig Metropolitan Trial Court also confirmed a light threat case against a certain Toshiya Fujita — reportedly one of the four Japanese nationals eyed by their government for deportation — was also junked.
With these latest developments, two of the four identified Japanese fugitives — including Fujita — by their government are ready for deportation.
“The other ones will be heard on Tuesday morning and we expect to start deporting next week,” Remulla said.
“Two are clear already. But we want everybody cleared by next week and we’re working toward that end,” the DOJ chief continued.
But Remulla stressed the department is also studying carefully how serious the allegations are against the Japanese detainees, so no right may be disregarded.
“We will definitely start next week. Whatever date is, when we’re ready, when the tickets are there, when the escorts are there, then we start deporting, because they have to be escorted back to Japan,” he added.
Remulla also said they are formalizing the turnover of evidence to Japanese government, including the seized cellphones from the detainees at the BI Warden Facility.