Immigration Officers assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 barred from entering the country an American national tagged as a registered sex offender (RSO).
RSOs include people who have been previously convicted of sex offenses under prevailing laws of their country.
The American, identified as Gabriel Rodriguez, 34, attempted to enter the country last September 2 on board an All Nippon Airways flight from Haneda when officers intercepted him.
He was excluded under Section 29(a) 3 of the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940, which states that persons who have been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude shall be barred from entering the Philippines.
Records reveal that Rodriguez has been convicted in 2019 in the US for unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.
“Registered sex offenders pose as a threat to our people,” said BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco. “Those who preyed on children have no place in the Philippines,” he added.
As a consequence of the exclusion, Rodriguez’s name has been included in the BI’s blacklist, making him perpetually barred from entering the country.
Faces of actors and influencers used by the syndicate in online love scams
Authorities have discovered that the faces of famous artists and influencers are being used as profile photos by a group running a love scam that preys on foreigners.
In a report by Emil Sumangil on GMA News “24 Oras” this Wednesday, he said this was the discovery of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) when it examined the 3,000 cellphones confiscated from a cyberscam hub in Pasay City that was attacked last August.
It is said that the syndicate uses the photos of artists and influencers as profile photos in its social media accounts to attract foreigners from different countries.
Once the victim’s heart has been won, Cruz said that the syndicate will ask for money, pretending to be offered by the business.
According to the PAOCC, they know where the money that the group gets from the victims goes.
“Ang tanong, pagpasok ng pera saan napupunta? So the fruit of the crime must be pursued also, so importante sa amin ang digital forensic examination para malaman namin saan napunta ang pera,” explained PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio.
The authority reminded the public to be careful not to become a victim as well.
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