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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Convicted American sex offender barred entry to PH

Convicted American sex offender barred entry to PH

Published Nov 5, 2023 05:32 am

An American who had been convicted in his country of child pornography, sexual abuse, and molesting a child under 15 years of age has been prevented from entering the Philippines, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Sunday, Nov. 5.

The BI identified him as Thomas Henry Vander Waal, 39, who arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) from Taiwan last Nov. 2.

It said the immigration officer who processed his arrival found that Vander Waal is in the bureau’s alert list of registered sex offenders (RSO).

“According to the International Criminal Police Organization's (Interpol) National Central Bureau in Manila, Vander Waal, who hails from Rock Valley, Sioux County, Iowa, has convictions related to sex offenses against minors in the US,” BI said in a statement. 

“Our immigration law expressly forbids entry of aliens who have been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude because they are undesirable aliens,” said BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco who ordered Vander Waal's inclusion in the BI's blacklist of unwanted aliens. 

The inclusion in the blacklist "effectively bans him from re-entering the Philippines so that he won’t pose a threat and risk to our women and children,” Tansingco said. 

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