Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 31) — The Philippine government has committed to fast-track the deportation of four Japanese nationals suspected to operate a robbery ring in Japan, including the supposed mastermind who goes by the alias “Luffy.”
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The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday said Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla “has given a firm commitment to expedite the process of deportation and has vowed cooperation with the Japanese Embassy and government on the matter.”
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This came after the DOJ met with the Japanese Embassy, which requested the deportation of the four suspects arrested in the Philippines.
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In making the request, the embassy presented four outstanding warrants pending in Japan for years.
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On Tuesday, Remulla told reporters the government targets to send two of the suspects back to Japan by the end of the week.
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“But the other two, we will see how fast we can act on these matters,” he said in a press briefing.
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He added they aim to finish the deportation of all four before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visits Japan around the second week of February.
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The DOJ chief explained that foreign nationals cannot be deported yet if they have a pending criminal case. He said three of the four suspects still face charges in the country, mostly for violence against women and children.
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Remulla also noted that the DOJ has yet to ascertain who “Luffy” is among the 17 Japanese nationals detained at the Bureau of Immigration.
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Japanese news media have identified the suspect as a certain Yuki Watanabe who allegedly led a string of robberies in the East Asian country, with one resulting in the murder of a 90-year-old woman.
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The Japan Times reported that the presumed mastermind had been sending instructions via smartphone from an immigration detention center in Manila.
READ: DOJ says Japanese nationals may have run criminal enterprises from BI jail
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In a briefer released last Friday, the DOJ said Watanabe was caught by Philippine immigration authorities in April 2021.
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A deportation order was filed against him a month later, but the department noted that Watanabe has a pending criminal case for violence against women and children in the Philippines.
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“We will make sure the cases against them are dismissed before we deport anybody, as is the case that should be followed,” Remulla said.
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“There should be no pending case of interest against these people from the Philippine government,” he added.
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The DOJ chief also said they will see if the case against the alleged ringleader was only filed for him to escape deportation and prolong his stay here.
READ: Cases filed vs. Japanese robbery suspects may be ‘invented’ – DOJ chief
