Bureau of Immigration to deport American child rape suspect

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is set to deport an American wanted by federal authorities in the US for raping his two stepdaughters.

BI area director Jose Tria Jr., in his report to Commissioner Marcelino Libanan, said Richard Wright Laguardia, 66, has been hiding in the country for 26 years after fleeing the US.

Tria said BI agents arrested Laguardia at his house in Barangay San Isidro, Puerto Princesa City last March 23, where he has been living since 1983. Laguardia is currently detained at the BI’s detention center in Taguig City.

Tria said Laguardia was not able to produce his passport when he was arrested, claiming he lost it a long time ago. Laguardia’s passport, however, had been cancelled by the US state department in 1998, according to Tria.

Tria said the US Embassy in Manila sought the BI’s help in locating Laguardia, who is wanted by authorities in California for child molestation.

On Jan. 17, 1983, he was charged before a Superior Court in California with 11 counts of child molestation. The same court issued a warrant for his arrest in March of that year.

In 1996, US authorities learned Laguardia had fled to the Philippines, thus prompting a US district court judge to issue against him a warrant for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

Citing a report from the US Embassy, the BI said that in 1982 Laguardia was investigated by the Sheriff’s Office in Riverside County, California for sexually abusing his two stepdaughters.

Prior to the incident, he had been arrested several times for the same offenses and at one time even resisted arrest by policemen, the BI said.

He was released after being granted bail in March 1983 after which he immediately fled to the Philippines, the BI said.

Libanan reiterated that the agency is determined to go after foreign fugitives using the Philippines as a sanctuary to escape punishment for their crimes.