11 Chinese tourists barred from entering PH for faking travel purpose

Immigration officers man their post at the NAIA Terminal 1. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / LYN RILLON

MANILA, Philippines — Eleven Chinese tourists were barred from entering the Philippines for “misrepresenting” their purpose for traveling to the country, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported Sunday.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said the tourists were intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on March 11, Thursday, upon their arrival from Guangzhou in China.

Morente said the Chinese tourists, who were in possession of entry exemption documents and temporary visitor visas, were denied entry after being subjected to secondary inspection by members of the BI’s travel control and enforcement unit (TCEU).

According to the documents the tourists presented, they were allegedly invited to the country by two telecommunications companies purportedly to attend conferences.

However, testimonies of the tourists during their interviews with immigration authorities were “inconsistent” with the supposed purpose of their trip, Morente said.

Further, Morente said the tourists could not present any proof or documents to support their claim that they were invited to a business conference in Manila.

“They claimed to be employed as engineers in China, but when asked by Immigration Officers Lazaro and Laxamana about basic details about their profession as well as their alleged conference, they could not provide any,” Morente said in a statement.

Morente said the 11 tourists were immediately booked on the first available flight back to China and were subsequently placed on the immigration blacklist.

The immigration commissioner reminded foreigners that they will be turned back at the airport if they misrepresent or lie about their true purpose or intention in entering the Philippines.

Morente said possession of a valid visa and entry exemption is not a guarantee that a foreigner will be allowed entry as the passenger will still be subject to strict immigration inspection upon arrival in a Philippine port of entry.

READ: BI orders stricter screening of aliens with temporary visitor’s visas

/MUF