MANILA, Philippines — A German and an American were denied entry to the country for being sex offenders, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported on Wednesday.
According to the BI, the bureau prevents the entry of such aliens as their presence poses a “serious risk” to Filipino women and children.
German national Maik Bohr, aboard a flight from the United Arab Emirates, and American Lewis Steven Sterling, aboard a flight from Taipei, arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Monday.
The BI said that Bohr’s entry was denied due to a directive issued by Commissioner Norman Tansingco in October, alerting immigration officers in ports about the foreigner’s possible arrival in the country.
The bureau noted that it recently received intelligence information tagging Bohr for being involved in child exploitation.
On the other hand, the BI said that based on public records, Sterling was found guilty of aggravated sexual assault of a child in violation of the Texas Penal Code in 1998.
The two will be included in the BI’s blacklist and will be permanently banned them from entering the country, the bureau noted.
Meanwhile, Tansingco expressed alarm over the continued attempts of foreign sex offenders to enter the country and stressed that the bureau will not lower its guard in monitoring and stopping them from doing so.
“We are always on the lookout for these sex offenders so they won’t be able to come here and victimize our women and children,” he said in a statement.
Tansingco added that the BI’s campaign in combatting sex tourism does not only focus on Americans – who account for the bulk of registered sex offenders turned back by the Philippines – but other nationalities as well.