January 30, 2002
MIE, JAPAN-Former WBA #2 ranked 115-pounder Rey Paciones, whose passport name is Remias de Paciones, was arrested by the Japanese police due to his illegal overstay here for 6 years 4 months since 1995. It was reported in all Japanese papers.
Paciones displayed his durability and strong heart despite losing to future WBC bantam champs Joichiro Tatsuyoshi and Yasuei Yakushiji both in 1991. The Filipino allegedly made an illegal entry into Japan in June, 1995, and has been working as a plumber in Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture.
This arrest may do harm a planned release of the Japanese Commission’s ban on Filipino boxers since last year because of too many escapes and illegal overstays of Filipino boxers and boxing people happening after their fistic activities. They reportedly stay here for working illegally for the different purpose than boxing for which the Japanese government granted the visas in order to send money to their families in the Philippines. The Japanese Yen balloons into bigger value there due to the great difference of currencies.
During the previous WBC Convention in Pattaya, Thailand, the representatives of the Games and Amusements Board (GAB, the commission to control professional sports including boxing) asked the Japanese Commission to release the ban and make free Filipino boxers fighting in Japan soon. But the JBC will be obliged to think twice now that the arrest of the name boxer Paciones happened at the bad timing. Previously ex-IBF world 105-pound champ Manny Melchor, the current WBC 105-pound international champ Ernesto Rubillar and other Filipino boxers were arrested by the police to be deported from Japan. They were indefinitely banned from fighting here again.
It is a pity that such a scandalous incident was revealed though some influential Japanese promoters and matchmakers are going to plan to resume booking Filipino boxers this year under the GAB’s guarantee to avoid the TNT cases. (An illegal overstayer is called TNT in the Philippines.)
(1-30-02)