Japanese fugitive arrested

CEBU, Philippines -  A 63-year-old Japanese fugitive who has been wanted for bigamy and violence against women in Manila was arrested in Cebu City last Saturday by the operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-7.

   Tesuo Ochi, who is engaged in gold trading, was arrested in front of a downtown mall Saturday morning after he agreed to meet with the CIDG operatives who pretended to be gold dealers.

   Police Officer 2 Edilberto Dacalos, Jr. said they were armed with two warrants of arrest against Ochi. Regional Trial Court Judge Lorifel Pahimna of Taguig City issued on April 26 a warrant of arrest for violence against women while RTC Branch 111 Judge Wilhelmina Jorge-Wagan of Pasig City issued the warrant of arrest for bigamy against Ochi in February 16.

   Dacalos said Ochi had been transferring from one hotel to another to avoid arrest. However, an asset was able to track him and obtain his cellphone number.

   They tried to arrange a transaction with the accused by pretending to be gold dealers. They agreed to meet outside a downtown mall last Saturday resulting to his arrest.

   Dacalos said the warrants stemmed from the complaints filed by Ochi’s former Filipina girlfriend who claimed to be married to him. Ochi is now married to another Filipina and have sired two children.

   But his former girlfriend filed criminal cases against him for bigamy and violence against women. The Japanese national claimed he never married his former girlfriend. It was allegedly the complainant who went to the National Statistics Office and submitted a supposed certificate of marriage with his forged signature.

   “13 years ago, syota-syota kami. Punta siya sa NSO, pirma-pirma lang, walang kasal, hindi aking pirma. Nag-complain siya, bigamy daw but kasal ako sa ibang babae,” Ochi said.

   The Japanese national said his former girlfriend was just after of his money.

    “Gusto nya pera. Pera lang gusto,” the Japanese said. Ochi already knows how to speak Tagalog because he has been going in and out of the country for 35 years now.

The accused plans to post P24,000 bail for each case of the two charges.   - (THE FREEMAN)