The Bureau of Immigration (BI) finally deported a Japanese national found engaged in illegally recruiting Filipino workers for Japan, it was learned Saturday.

Lawyer Antonio Rivera, head of the BI deportation unit, identified the foreigner as Hiroaki Ogino, 31, who was arrested six years ago but was only deported last week.

Rivera, in his report to Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan, said Ogino was deported aboard a Philippine Airlines bound to Narita, Japan.

Rivera explained that Ogino was kicked out of the country pursuant to a summary deportation order that the BI board of commissioners issued against him on June 25, 2004 for being an overstaying and undesirable alien. He added that it took the BI four years to implement the deportation order due to a criminal case for estafa and illegal recruitment that was filed against him before the Makati Regional Trial Court.

The case was reportedly dismissed by the Makati court on May 13 last year but the BI still had to secure Ogino’s travel document from the Japanese embassy to facilitate his deportation.

Under existing rules, a foreigner who violates Philippine immigration laws may only be deported if there is no civil or criminal case pending against him in court.

Libanan said Ogino’s expulsion and his inclusion in the immigration blacklist should serve as a stern warning to other foreign illegal recruiters not to take advantage of the poverty of Filipinos by hiring them for non-existent jobs abroad in exchange for hefty fees.