Filipino couple depart Japan leaving 13-yr-old daughter behind

Tuesday 14th April, 04:56 AM JST

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Good_Jorb at 11:59 PM JST - 14th April

Yeah, you're right, they committed a crime but I don't think you can compare them to those people selling illegal drugs and so on that do damage to other people's lives. The only crime they committed was, "they wanted to live a better life.

A drug dealer sells drugs because they want to live a better life, in some cases to get their family out of the "hood". Wanting a better life is too easily used as rationalization for committing crimes. If Japan or any country wants to choose who it wants to allow in and who it does not want to allow in that is thier right, it's thier law, if you don't want to abide by the laws of a country, don't move there and/or don't expect to get special treatment. Japan or any other "wealthy" countries are wealthy in part because of the laws that govern people and business. Just as the Philippines is only poor because Filipino people let it become that way.
Airion at 06:47 AM JST - 15th April

Yes, drug dealers and even the guy who mugged SpanishEyez just wanted a better life. But that's not really the point.

The Calderon's crime was victimless. They didn't hurt anyone by entering the country. They also didn't commit any other crimes once in, other than the crime of being in Japan itself. That's part of the case for leniency.
jea711 at 07:36 AM JST - 15th April

nothereillegal: I'm sorry, I meant "read between the lines." (not live).

signing out....
SaitamaGaijin at 11:10 AM JST - 15th April

Anyway, I just wonder how come they could not be caught earlier. I suppose they had to renew their passports during those 16 years at some point? If they just ended up having no papers, how did they put their girls in school or rent an appartment and so on.

This all storry does not make sense in a way
USNinJapan2 at 11:36 AM JST - 15th April

sakura29

I agree with you completely. Being in the US Navy I have worked with countless very fine people from the Philippines, consider some of them my friends, and have visited the Philippines many times myself. I have nothing in general against Filipinos in Japan or anywhere. I do have a problem with the Calderons and their wish to have the law bent to accommodate their personal predicament, a predicament which they have only themselves to thank. If they were of any other nationality, be it American, Norwegian, or Egyptian I would find their actions equally unacceptable. People here argue that the Japanese authorities must consider the personal/human fator of the daughter's welfare and allow the family to stay despite their gross disregard for Japanese laws in the past. That is nothing more than an emotional appeal. They even throw in the BS excuse that Japan is a rich developed nation that somehow owes something to other not as developed nations like the Philippines and their constituency like the Calderons. This sense of entitlement disgusts me. Laws in general, immigration laws included, must be applied uniformly to all offenders or the laws will lose any effect and relevance. If the Japanese public feels their immigration laws are unjust or not considerate enough to accommodate special/extreme cases like the Calderons, then they should ammend them. But until that happens current laws must be enforced. Period. If Japan wants to uphold their immigration laws because it doesn't want an open border and uncontrolled immigration with other nations then so be it. People of other nationalities can cry foul all they want but if that's what the Japanese people want then that's what's right for Japan.
Airion at 04:11 PM JST - 15th April

USNinJapan2

Are you sure the laws require deportation? Or do they simply allow for deportation? I'm willing to bet there's room for discretion on the part of immigration authorities and judges. If that's the case, then it's not as simple as enforcement=deportation. Granted, it's really a question for a lawyer, so I don't necessarily assume either way.

I think part of this story is that a lot of Japanese do in fact feel their immigration laws are unjust or not considerate enough to accommodate cases like the Calderons. For a lot of people, Japanese or not, there's just something wrong about breaking up families. Therefore I would not be surprised if this does in fact eventually lead to immigration law ammendments. The fact that there's an emotional reaction to this case is not somehow irrelevant. Though it may not be able to have any effect on this case, the feeling on moral grounds that the Calderons shouldn`t be deported still matters, because laws can be changed.
Badge213 at 06:40 PM JST - 15th April

I live in Japan, I had to go through paperwork and applications, payed my fees and sponsorship to get my visa to stay and work in Japan legally.

So now you got the Calderons, entered Japan under false pretenses, stayed illegally, worked illegally. So the law should be bent for them, let them stay because they broke the law???
And what about the next couple, and the couple after that, and the couple after that? Then you got yourself an Immigration problem.
You allow it, and you open the flood gates of people entering illegally, working illegally. Great human interest story, but break it down to the basics with your emotions set aside, the law was broken, the law is being enforced. * "‘‘very worried about leaving behind my daughter as she is still a minor. She cannot take care of herself.’’"* Isn't that why there's her aunt and Japanese uncle there to watch her? From what I read they're moving to accommodate her instead of her having to move to them.
moccachan09 at 06:49 PM JST - 15th April

They are hypocrite to the nth time. Would you believe when they arrived in the Philippines, they will only allow Japanese media to interview them. It was also reported that they claimed they are Japanese citizen and not Filipino citizen based on their bogus documents.

What on earth are they doing in the Philippines? Now, I understand why they don't want to go back to the Philippines. They don't consider themselves Filipinos!!!

After I (with my Filipino classmates) saw the TV coverage of their arrival; it made me sick!!
moccachan09 at 06:59 PM JST - 15th April

Airion The Calderon's crime was victimless. They didn't hurt anyone by entering the country. They also didn't commit any other crimes once in, other than the crime of being in Japan itself. That's part of the case for leniency.

Isn't using false identity a CRIME? Are you also one of the many "aunts"?
USNinJapan2 at 07:25 PM JST - 15th April

Airion

Are you sure the laws require deportation? Or do they simply allow for deportation? I'm willing to bet there's room for discretion on the part of immigration authorities and judges. If that's the case, then it's not as simple as enforcement=deportation.

Naturally there is room for discretion in the cases of foreigner who overstay their visas for one reason or another. There a million reasons why someone's visa renewal case may be delayed, lost, etc. which warrants leniency on the part of Immigrations. HOWEVER, and this is a big however, the Calderons never had any proper visas, didn't even bother applying for them or ever attempt to correct their illegal status in the 15 whole years until they were discovered/busted. It begs the question are the parents just plain stupid and ignorant? Did they think that their underground existance will never change and that their problem would just go away magically someday? Maybe that kind of thinking works in the Land of Oz but not in this world and definitely not in Japan. Let's not forget also the key fact that they entered the country on false documents in the first place. If visa overstayers are a 7 out of scale of ten, then the Calderons who never had passports or visas would be a 10, if not worse. Bottomline, Japanese Immigration was more than lenient in letting their daughter stay at all.
shanabelle at 08:53 PM JST - 15th April

I agree Immigration were very lenient/patient in this case. There are many more derserving cases, such as people genuinely seeking political asylum etc....if these blatant illegals (yet savvy manipulators of the media)are given a reprieve, the floodgates will truly open. I don't believe their claims that they, and their daughter for that matter, can no longer understand tagalog, or are being returned to the Philipines penny-less (after a 10-year plus illegal working stop-over). Nice try guys, but there are genuine political refugees pleading to stay here in desperate need of safe-haven....so get real! If you took your daughter back with you she'd learn the langauge damn quick, just like you did here.
nothereillegal at 09:16 PM JST - 15th April

"jea711 at 07:36 AM JST - 15th April nothereillegal: I'm sorry, I meant "read between the lines." (not live).

I did read between the lines. I read over & under 'em as well.Guess what? It says they broke the law. What's the purpose in having a legitimate passport & visa then? Or should we do as you say and let any Tom, Dick & Harry go wherever they want to "get a better life"?....Sheesh.Some people eh?
jonnyboy at 02:02 PM JST - 16th April

i feel the girl was used as a pawn in a (failed) attempt to negotiate a stay in this country
Soochi at 01:36 AM JST - 18th April

Airion...

"The Calderon's crime was victimless. They didn't hurt anyone by entering the country."

Ozzie PM today....

"People smugglers are the vilest form of human life because they trade on the tragedy of others,"

Liberalistas greatest failing.... always the bigger picture.
neganip at 09:02 AM JST - 18th April

For the immense scrutiny that we go through to just exist here i`d like to understand how they managed to stay here for so long without presenting paperwork.....