MANILA — After its envoy met with the Department of Justice (DOJ) earlier this month, Japan reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening judicial cooperation with the Philippines.
According to a release from the Japanese Embassy in the Philippines, Ambassador Endo Kazuya paid Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida a courtesy call and discussed the judicial cooperation between Manila and Tokyo.
According to Ambassador Endo, “this visit reaffirms Japan’s commitment to further strengthen judicial cooperation with the country.”
The envoy added, “It also underscores our intention to deepen collaboration in legal frameworks and governance, reinforcing a shared commitment to the rule of law and institutional development.”
He also thanked local police for quickly apprehending and deporting Japanese fugitive offenders, pointing to this as an indication of successful law enforcement cooperation between the two nations.
A Japanese fugitive wanted by Tokyo authorities for allegedly defrauding another Japanese person was apprehended in January of last year, according to Philippine authorities.
The suspect, named as Yokota Tetsuya was deported to Japan and was eternally forbidden from re-entering the Philippines, based on earlier reports.
Meanwhile, some Japanese “Luffy” criminal ringleaders who were thought to be responsible for a number of robberies and phone fraud cases across Japan were deported in 2023.
According to NHK, the organization was believed to be responsible for 2,300 fraud cases totaling 3.5 billion yen, or almost P1.4 billion.
The push for closer judicial collaboration forms part of the deepening strategic partnership between Japan and the Philippines, which also includes cooperation in defense, infrastructure development, disaster response, and economic growth.
Japan is one of the Philippines’ largest sources of official development assistance (ODA), with several programs aimed at strengthening governance and institutional capacity.
Both sides expressed optimism that enhanced judicial cooperation would lead to more efficient legal systems, improved protection of human rights, and stronger legal frameworks to address emerging challenges such as cybercrime and transnational offenses.
Further discussions and formal agreements are expected in the coming months as Japan and the Philippines continue to explore new avenues for collaboration in the justice sector.
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