Lifting of ban derailed

The recent arrest of former Philippine junior bantamweight champion Rey Paciones in Mie, Japan, for overstaying as a TNT has set back plans to lift the Japan Boxing Commission (JBC) ban on Filipinos fighting in non-title bouts in Japan.

Games and Amusements Board (GAB) chairman Eduardo Villanueva said lifting the ban is a priority. Villanueva told The STAR the other day the GAB is finalizing a letter to the JBC which imposed the ban in February last year. The letter will detail steps to be taken by the GAB in eliminating, or at least drastically reducing, the incidence of Filipino fighters and their traveling companions overstaying in Japan.

The ban isn’t only an embarrassment to the country but also a plug on a rich source of livelihood for Filipino fighters. Japan pays top dollar for Filipino fighters, particularly those who are world-rated. Since the ban was imposed, only Filipinos fighting for the world or Oriental championships are allowed to see action in Japan.

JBC executive secretary Shigeru Kojima announced the ban after former World Boxing Council (WBC) International bantamweight titlist Ricky Gayamo came back to Manila from a Tokyo fight without his traveling companions, trainer Henry Caputo and Francis Tapang, last year. Tapang disappeared before Gayamo fought and lost to Norihisa Tomimoto. Caputo took off after the fight.

A few years ago, Japan immigration authorities cracked down on Filipino TNTs and rounded up several former fighters who were found working in farms, construction camps, and labor crews. The TNTs–who included former world champion Manny Melchor–were deported back to the Philippines.

Before the ban, the practice was a Japanese matchmaker would tap a Filipino contractor to send a fighter and one or two companions for a bout in Japan. It was rumored that unscrupulous Filipino contractors sold the accompanying slots to prospective TNTs for a fee ranging from P100,000 to P200,000 each. It was also rumored that some GAB boxing officials were paid off to license the companions as trainers or managers for the Japanese Embassy to approve their visas. Another rumor was some GAB officials were directly contacted by Japanese matchmakers for Filipino fighters so they themselves were involved in selling the accompanying slots.

GAB boxing official Noli Flores said the incidence of TNTs from Filipino boxing traveling parties has been curtailed the last few years as the GAB adopted stricter measures to control the outflow of fighters and cleaned up its ranks. But he admitted the GAB’s inability to bring back long-time stragglers like Paciones–who was arrested last week after going TNT in 1995.

Flores explained that before the GAB endorses a boxing party to the Japanese Embassy for visas, the agency requires an invitation from the Japanese matchmaker or promoter, signed affidavits from each traveler promising to return home immediately after the fight, medical clearances, and active licenses. A fighter must have won once in his last three bouts and fought in at least an eight-rounder.

Despite the controls, sometimes it’s impossible to stop someone from going TNT–particularly if he has a friend or relative, also on TNT status, gainfully employed in Japan. But there are ways to curb the incidence.

Cecile Solon-Minoriyama, a Filipina married to a Japanese boxing promoter, said she has contracted several Filipinos to fight in Japan but none has gone TNT.

"I strongly believe that the boxing scam can only be stopped if we stop booking boxers from corrupt people," said Minoriyama, formerly Cebu-based businessman Tony Aldeguer’s executive secretary. "The Japanese are partly to blame. No silly Filipino would stay behind if no Japanese is giving him an offer to work. I have dealt with boxers from Indonesia, Thailand, Korea and the Philippines for more than 50 fights and never has a boxing party stayed behind after a fight. The key is to contact the right people."

Minoriyama said a possible solution to the problem is paying the fighter’s purse at the airport before departure for Manila. "If any of the traveling party disappears, the purse will be surrendered to the JBC," she added. But a fighter’s companion couldn’t care less about the purse so it may not necessarily be a deterrent.

Clearly, the GAB and JBC must join forces to stop illegal human smuggling. Here are some suggestions on how to do it:

First, the GAB must strictly screen not only fighters requesting clearance to fight abroad but also their companions. They must all be licensed by the GAB for at least a year and active in their profession. Aside from signing an affidavit vowing to return home, each traveling individual must submit to the GAB personal data such as home address, contact person here, and other links so that in case he goes TNT, local police authorities can immediately establish reference points. It must be stressed that anyone who fails to return as scheduled will be blacklisted by the Bureau of Immigration and his passport, canceled. And he will be arrested upon his return–whenever.