Four Americans, who have been convicted of sexual offenses involving minors in their country, have been barred from entering the Philippines, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado identified them as Terry Christ Peterson, 70; Richard Allison Boice, 71; Kevin James Bearden, 56; and Rodney Wendell Mathis, 59.
“They were turned back pursuant to our immigration law which provides for the outright exclusion of foreigners who have been convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude,” Viado said.
He added that the four Americans have been included in the BI's blacklist and banned from entering the Philippines.
In a statement, the BI said was denied entry after arriving at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 last Sept. 13 from Hong Kong.
“Petersen was convicted in 1992 by a court in Wisconsin on a charge of sexual assault on second degree wherein the victim is a 12-year-old child,” it said.
Mathis "was convicted in 1997 for engaging in lewd and lascivious acts against a 16-year-old minor," while Boice and Bearden "were convicted for possession of child pornography in 2009 and 2021, respectively."