Two foreign fugitives wanted in their countries on allegations of sexually molesting children have been arrested in Cebu, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Tuesday, Nov. 28.
BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco identified the two fugitives as American John Tomas Minor, 42, and British national Derek Gordon Heggie, 40.
"We should not allow these wanted sex offenders to use the Philippines as a sanctuary to elude arrest and evade prosecution for crimes they committed in their homelands,” Tansingco said.
Minor and Heggie were arrested in Cebu City and Bogo City, respetively by operatives of the BI’s Fugitive Search Unit (BI-FSU) during separate operations conducted last Monday, Nov. 27.
“They will be deported after our board of commissioners issues the orders for their summary deportation after which they will be included in our immigration blacklist to prevent them from re-entering the country,” Tansingco said.
The two foreigners are now detained at the BI office in Mandaue City while waiting to be transferred to the BI Warden Facility in Taguig City.
Citing report from the United States government, BI said that “Minor is subject of an arrest warrant issued in May by a superior court in Spokane, Washington where he was charged with raping and molesting a child."
It said the "National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom said Heggie was convicted of sexual assault on 10 Aug 2005 and committed several other sex crimes, including raping a domestic partner in 2018 and an ex-partner in 2013.”
It also said that "Heggie was also charged with sexual activity with a minor.”
“UK authorities warned the BI that Heggie is known to be violent, with an extensive criminal history that includes different types of sexual abuse, damage to property, possession of narcotic substances, among other grave offenses,” it added.