CEBU CITY – A group of residents in San Remigio, Cebu staged a protest rally Sunday, July 17, calling for the deportation of their unruly American neighbor arrested by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) last May.
Carrying placards, about 100 residents of Barangay Punta assembled outside the house of Sunny Miller around noon.
They called on government officials to intervene and help address their plight.
“We humbly implore President Bongbong Marcos, Senators Raffy Tulfo, Pia Cayetano, and Risa Hontiveros to intercede and help us to have Miller deported immediately,” said Alfredo Arcipe, president of the Punta Fisherfolks Association.
The residents want Miller be deported as they accused him of harassing them ever since he arrived in their place in 2018.
They alleged that some of them were accused of being thieves and they were not allowed to use a road near his house.
The American was also accused of throwing stones at children who swam in the sea in front his house.
Miller arrived in the place in 2018 and claimed to own a 4,000-square meter lot in a coastal area.
The American had several physical encounters with some residents because of his boorish behavior, the residents said.
Because of the complaints against Miller, the barangay council declared him persona non grata in a session on July 16, 2021.
Miller, a 64-year-old native of Michigan, was arrested by operatives of the Intelligence Division of the BI.
He was arrested after the BI acted on the complaints of residents.
Immigration officials later discovered that Miller has been overstaying in the country.
After his arrest, Miller returned to the place early this month.
“We are devastated and frustrated with the Immigration for allowing Miller to come back in the area,” said Alma Patalinghug, president of the barangay’s women’s association.
Miller refused to face reporters who tried to ask him to comment on the accusations hurled against him.