Manila: Several Americans with records of convictions as sex offenders in their country have been barred from entering the country last month, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported Thursday.
According to Philippines News Agency, Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado stated that five of the passengers were excluded at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) while one was intercepted at the Mactan airport in Cebu. "They were denied entry by our immigration officers upon discovering that they are among the thousands of registered sex offenders (RSOs) who are in our database," Viado said.
He emphasized that this move aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s commitment to protect children and ensure that foreign criminals, particularly those with a history of sexual offenses, are prevented from entering the Philippines. The foreigners were excluded under a provision in the country's immigration act that prohibits the entry of foreigners who have been convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude.
According to BI border control and intelligence unit (BCIU) chief Ferdinand Tendenilla, all of the individuals were sent back to their ports of origin a day after they were intercepted. The first interception on January 6 involved Rodrigo Navarro, 30, who was convicted in 2014 for possession and control of obscene materials depicting a minor in sexual conduct.
Wayne Mitchell Blakely, 56, was denied entry on January 14. He was convicted in the US in 2002 for sexual molestation involving a 15-year-old victim. Raymund Campado Falguera, 33, was also excluded on January 14 after being court-martialed in 2014 for sexually abusing a minor.
On January 15, Robert William Harper, 69, was turned back due to his conviction for criminal sexual conduct in Wisconsin in 1999. Intercepted at the Mactan-Cebu airport on January 18 was David Scott Dennis, 60, convicted in 2000 for five counts of first-degree child molestation involving a six-year-old victim. On the same date, Joseph Jerome Dumas, 71, was turned away at NAIA after being convicted in 2018 for possessing sexually abusive material involving children.
The BI highlighted that these exclusions are part of its ShieldKids Program, an initiative aimed at safeguarding Filipino children from exploitation and abuse by foreign predators. Under the program, the BI collaborates with local and international law enforcement agencies to monitor and prevent the entry of convicted sex offenders and other individuals who pose a threat to child safety.
