Justice Secretary Boying Remulla reiterated that the Philippines is not a safe haven for foreign fugitives.
He issued the remark after the Bureau of Immigration’s (BI) arrest and blacklisting of a Japanese national wanted for defrauding a compatriot of approximately 3 million yen.
Remulla commended the BI for its swift and decisive action, which led to the arrest and upcoming repatriation of the Japanese fugitive.
Acting on a court order from Omiya, Japan, the BI Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) tracked down Yokota Tetsuya in Binondo, Manila, on January 2, 2025.
Tetsuya and his accomplices had scammed a fellow Japanese by making a fraudulent call about the right to enter a nursing home which duped the latter into giving 2.75-million yen.
“PH is no haven for international criminals, this is my final warning to undesirable aliens who may attempt to push their luck in our country, you have no place here,” said Remulla.
“We vow to intensify our border control efforts this year so expect stricter measures to be imposed in all entry and exit points throughout the country,” he added.IMT
