5 foreigners who are registered sex offenders barred from entering PH
Five foreigners, who are registered sex offenders (RSOs) in their countries, have been prevented from entering the Philippines, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Tuesday, Sept. 12.
The BI identified them as British national Antonio Stephen Albert Costa and American nationals Neil David Laursen, Benacio Vasquez, Troy Delbert Houk and Kevin Crispe.
It said that "a registered sex offender is a person who has been convicted of sex crimes and is required to register following their country or state’s laws."
Under the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940, BI said “those who have been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude, which includes sex offenders, are ineligible from entering the country.”
"All five aliens were found to be registered sex offenders in their respective countries,” it said.
BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco, in a statement, warned that "with the return of tourism also comes the return of aliens who will try to abuse our hospitality."
“We warn these predators not to attempt to enter the country, as we have close coordination with different governments which provide us information about sex offenders who might attempt to enter the Philippines,” he stressed.
The five foreigners were barred from entering the Philippines from Aug. 30 to Sept. 5 at the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) and the Davao International Airport (DIA).