3 fugitives from China, US face deportation

MANILA, Philippines — Three fugitives from China and the United States will be deported following their recent arrest in Metro Manila, Cagayan de Oro and Negros Occidental, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced on Friday.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said the three foreigners — a Chinese national and two Americans — will be deported for being “undesirable aliens” and for being undocumented as their passports were already cancelled by their respective countries.

In a statement, Morente said the three fled to the Philippines to evade prosecution for their crimes.

According to BI Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) chief Bobby Raquepo, Chinese national Cai Cancan, 19, who is wanted for economic crimes, was arrested in Parañaque City on January 16.

Authorities in Xiamen, China claimed Cai is one of the several suspects wanted for operating a credit card fraud scheme that defrauded their victims of more than 2 million renminbi or roughly US$300,000.

On the same day in Cagayan de Oro City, FSU agents arrested American national Xerxes Pancipanci, 34, who is wanted for a vehicular homicide case. He is also the subject of an arrest warrant issued by a court in King Country, Washington.

Meanwhile, on January 21, FSU agents also arrested in Sagay, Negros Occidental another American identified as Richard Bruce Weiser, 72, an alleged pedophile.

Citing information from the US embassy, BI said Weiser is the subject of an arrest warrant issued by a district court in Harris County, Texas where he was charged with sexually molesting a minor.

The three are temporarily detained at the BI detention facility in Bicutan, Taguig City pending their deportation.