DOJ says Japanese nationals may have run criminal enterprises from BI jail

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 31) — Japanese nationals suspected to be behind a string of robberies in Japan may have run criminal enterprises while detained at the Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI), the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Tuesday.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla told reporters that this is “very possible” after BI authorities found that the suspects have been illegally keeping several phones inside the detention facility.

One of them even had six mobile phones, he said.

The DOJ chief has directed the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to probe the matter, but he added that they will also cooperate with the Japanese government if it launches its own investigation.

Both the BI and the NBI are agencies under the Justice department.

Remulla also gave assurance that BI officials found to be involved in the illegal use of communication equipment will be held liable.

“This reeks of corruption and the people who are responsible for the behavior of all the people under detention will be dealt with severely once proven that they did not do their jobs in ensuring that the use of communication tools are only tolerated or only used for lawyers or family calls,” he said.

“It’s a very serious breach of discipline within the ranks of the Bureau of Immigration,” Remulla added.

The DOJ on Monday said there are 17 Japanese nationals detained at the BI.

It is not yet clear how many of them were discovered to have been keeping phones. Of the 17, however, the Japanese government wants four deported over robbery cases in Japan.

Among them is the presumed robbery mastermind who goes by the alias “Luffy.”

READ: PH to expedite deportation of alleged Japan robbery leader ‘Luffy’

The Japan Times earlier reported that the alleged leader, whom Japanese news media have identified as a certain Yuki Watanabe, had been sending instructions via smartphone from an immigration detention center in Manila.

The DOJ said it has yet to determine who “Luffy” is among those detained, but Remulla is certain he is one of the four being sought for deportation.

The Justice secretary also explained that the Japanese nationals cannot be extradited yet as they still have pending cases in the Philippines, most of which are for violence against women and children.

“There is a rule that we cannot deport anybody with a pending criminal case in the Philippines,” Remulla told the media. “All of these cases have to be cleared prior to any deportation.”

READ: Cases filed vs. Japanese robbery suspects maybe ‘invented’ — DOJ chief

He said they hope to send two of the suspects back to Japan by the end of the week.

Meanwhile, they intend to finish the deportation of all four before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visits Japan on the second week of February.

“We’re trying to settle the case, to finish these cases prior to the President’s trip so these will not be the focus of media when he goes to Japan, because this will be a distraction,” Remulla said.