Japanese fugitives’ deportation processed before Tokyo trip: PBBM

Two more Japanese fugitives — Tomonobu Saito and Yuki Watanabe — board a Japan Airlines flight on Wednesday (Feb. 9, 2023) night. One of them has the alias “Luffy,” the leader of a criminal ring behind the series of violent robberies in the east Asian nation. (Photo: Ben Pulta via Philippine News Agency/Facebook)

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. clarified Wednesday that the deportation of Japanese nationals tagged in the “Luffy” heists has already been processed prior to his scheduled visit to Japan.

Marcos made the clarification in an interview with reporters en route to Japan, when asked about the “timing” of the deportation of two of the four Japanese fugitives on Tuesday, or a day before he flew to Tokyo for an official visit.

He said the deportation was a mere “coincidence.”

“Well, it was actually in the process already before the Japan trip was even planned,” Marcos said. “It was just by coincidence that it happened.”

Asked whether the deportation was part of the Japanese government’s request or a form of the Philippine government’s goodwill, Marcos said the move was made following the appeal of Japan.

Marcos also believed that the latest development would facilitate a smooth trip to Japan.

“Of course, it cannot hurt because it is a request. It was a request from the Japanese government and so we are always going to acquiesce to that request. We thought perhaps it would clear the decks as it were for the talks that we will have with the Japanese,” he said.

The Philippine government, Marcos said, “basically followed the same criteria as a[n] extradition.”

“Although hindi na natin ginawang extradition kasi ang request nila para mas mabilis mag-deport na lang (we did not pursue extradition process because that’s their request. We just deported it to expedite the process). So that’s precisely what we did,” Marcos said.

On Tuesday, Japanese suspects Fujita Toshiya and Imamura Kiyoto were sent back to Tokyo on board a Japan Airlines flight.

The two other suspects, Tomonobu Saito and Yuki Watanabe were deported Wednesday night after having been cleared of their local cases in the Philippines.

The Japanese fugitives were suspected members of a crime ring tagged in violent robberies in their home country.

Watanabe, the suspected mastermind bearing the alias “Luffy,” had allegedly directed the break-ins in Japan using an encrypted messaging application while detained at a Manila immigration facility, according to reports by Japanese media.

On Feb. 1, the Department of Foreign Affairs said the deportation of the Japanese suspects is a consular matter being handled by Manila and Tokyo, and would not be raised during Marcos’ visit to Japan.