Lacierda to actor Kitsch: Come over, it's more fun in the Philippines

Malacañang on Tuesday invited Canadian actor Taylor Kitsch to “come over and apologize” after he reportedly maligned the Philippines when he appeared on the late-night American talk show The Late Show with David Letterman.   “It’s more fun in the Philippines so come over and apologize,” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said at a press briefing, highlighting the Tourism Department’s new slogan.   He said Kitsch did an injustice to the country when he wrongly identified the Philippines as a country which tried to extort money from him.   “The least we would expect from him and from those who uttered it is to express a profound apology to our country because it wrongly demeaned and it will affect our international image,” Lacierda said.   In an interview with the show’s host David Letterman, Kitsch claimed that a Filipino Customs official sought to block him from entering the country and asked for a bribe in exchange.   Kitsch reportedly claimed that when he tried to prove that he is an actor by showing a video of his movie on his iPhone, the official allegedly told him, “Can you get me one of those?”   Kitsch supposedly arrived in the country last Feb. 29 for the shooting of his latest movie, Savages, directed by Oliver Stone.   Bureau of Customs chief Ruffy Biazon denied the actor’s allegation saying there is a possibility that Kitsch had confused the Philippines with Indonesia, where the movie is actually being filmed.  Immigration and Customs records showed that the actor did not arrive in the country.   Biazon had also asked for an apology from Kitsch and Letterman.  - Amita O. Legaspi/KBK, GMA News