American fugitive to be deported

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Immigration will deport a 59-year-old American fugitive to his native country where he will have to allegedly face a string of criminal cases.

In a statement, BI Commissioner Marcelino Libanan yesterday said that the agency’s Board of Commissioners is now working on the immediate deportation of Robert Nicol.

Apart from his pending cases in the United States, it was learned that he has been an undocumented alien. For the last two years, he has been living in the country with an expired tourist visa.

Libanan ordered that Nicol be placed in the BI’s blacklist to prevent him from returning to the country.

A team of US marshals is expected to arrive in the country to fetch Nicol, the fugitive and escort him back to the US and stand trial for his crimes. The US embassy had sought the help of the BI in locating and apprehending Nicol. The US government has also cancelled his US passport.

The BI-Interpol unit headed by lawyer Floro Balato Jr. recently apprehended Nicol in his residence in Baler, Quezon province.

Information reaching the BI showed that an arrest warrant has allegedly been issued against him by a district court in Florida on Oct. 21, 2008. He was indicted before the said court on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

The Interpol database showed that the American was also reportedly wanted for various other offenses including assault, maltreatment and fraud.