2 registered sex offenders denied entry into PH

Two foreigners, identified as registered sex offenders, were denied entry into the Philippines in separate incidents in Manila and Cebu. 

At the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) in Cebu, immigration authorities on January 6 refused entry to a 63-year-old Swedish man who arrived from Sweden via Hong Kong.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) received information from Nordic law enforcement agencies that the individual was previously convicted in Sweden in 2023 for possession of child pornography.

On the same day, the BI refused entry to a 52-year-old US man at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) after records showed he was convicted in 2013 in Texas for indecency with a child by contact, with the victim being only 16.

The American arrived in the Philippines from Los Angeles.

“Philippine immigration laws are clear: individuals with prior convictions involving moral turpitude, particularly crimes against children, will not be allowed entry into our country. We will continue to work tirelessly to shield our children from exploitation through programs like #ShieldKids,” BI Commissioner Joel Viado said.

Both individuals were refused entry and have been added to the BI’s blacklist.

The #ShieldKids campaign aims to prevent child exploitation by keeping registered sex offenders out of the country, leveraging international law enforcement cooperation, and intelligence sharing. — Sundy Locus/BM, GMA Integrated News