Japanese man arrested for illegally working in PH

MANILA, Philippines — A Japanese man has been apprehended for illegally working in the country and for allegedly maltreating employees, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported Monday.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said 45-year-old Kiyoshi Yokoyama was arrested last March 18 in Davao City where he was allegedly employed as general manager of a company.

Morente said the immigration bureau received complaints from the employees of the company that Yokoyama had been working in the country without the appropriate work permit and visa.

This prompted Morente to issue a mission order for the Japanese man’s arrest.

“We cannot tolerate the continued stay of foreigners who blatantly violate our laws by working without a permit and oppress Filipino workers,” Morente said in a statement.

BI’s Mindanao Intelligence Task Group chief Melody Gonzales, who led the arresting team that nabbed Yokoyama, said that the Japanese man has been frequenting the country as a tourist since 2013.

There were, however, no record showing that Yokoyama obtained or applied for a working visa with the BI.

Gonzales added that verification made with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) office in Region 10 also showed that Yokoyama did not secure or apply for an alien employment permit (AEP).

Aside from the complaints regarding his illegal employment status, the employees of the company also complained of Yokoyama’s “oppressive and abusive conduct towards company employees”, the BI said.

According to BI intelligence chief Fortunato Manahan Jr., a female employee reported that on January 3, Yokoyama threatened to physically harm her “in a fit of rage”.

“She said she felt very humiliated that all she could do was cry,” Manahan said.