MANILA – Immigration authorities have barred 69 foreigners tagged as sex offenders from entering the country in the first half of this year.
Latest data from the Bureau of Immigration (BI) showed Americans topped the list with 48, followed by four Britons, two Australians, a German, an Indonesian, an overseas British, and one from Papua New Guinea.
In a statement Friday, Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the number is lower compared to the 84 alien sex predators who were excluded in the same period last year.
Out of the 69 barred foreigners, 58 are registered sex offenders (RSOs) or persons with record of convictions for sex crimes in their respective countries while the rest are either subjects of pending complaints or are under investigation or prosecution for various sex offenses.
All of them were placed on the immigration blacklist and banned from reentering the country for being undesirable aliens.
Last year, the BI launched a program called Project #Shieldkids which aims to conduct an intensified drive against foreign sexual predators attempting to stay or enter the country.
The program endeavors to harmonize government efforts against foreign sex offenders in the country by institutionalizing a network of communication among government agencies involved in investigating and arresting pedophiles and traffickers.
It also solidifies the BI’s drive against sexual predators by prioritizing cases against foreigners that might be involved in sex trafficking of children.
As part of the campaign, the BI has opened up the Commissioner's helpline via Facebook.com/immigration.helpline.ph, encouraging concerned citizens to report potential cases of child exploitation and abuse involving foreigners.
Tansingco said the Philippine Immigration Act provides for the outright exclusion of foreigners who have been convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude. (PNA)
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