Two convicted foreign sex offenders have been prevented from entering the Philippines, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Monday, July 8.
They were identified by the BI as Irishman Charles Henry Gabler, 52, and American Mark Halligan, 29, both of whom were intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) last June 23 and July 4, respectively.
The BI said Gabler, who arrived from Guam, was convicted in 2012 for raping a 16-year-old girl. Gabler had also attempted to enter the Philippins on Nov. 22, 2022, it said.
In the case of Halligan, who arrived from Dubai, the BI said the American was convicted in 2020fof raping a 20-year-old woman.
“Our country is off-limits to all foreign sex predators and it is our duty as immigration authorities to see to it that they are prevented from entering our borders to protect our women and children,” declared BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco in a statement.