Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) barred from entering the country on Tuesday night, another American previously convicted of sex crimes in the United States (US).
In a statement, Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco identified the excluded passenger as Todd Nolan Jones, 60, who was intercepted before midnight last October 11 at the NAIA Terminal 1 moments after he arrived aboard a Eva Air flight from Taipei.
Jones was immediately denied entry and booked on the first available flight back to his port of origin. He was later placed in the BI blacklist of undesirable aliens.
Tansingco said Jones, being a registered sex offender, is an excludable alien under the Philippine Immigration Act, having been convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude.
“It has been our standard to turn back these aliens with record of conviction for sex offenses. We are doing this to protect our women and children, any of whom could be their next victim,” the BI Chief stressed.
He added that being sex offenders these aliens are always prone to repeat their crimes despite their conviction and service of sentence.
According to the US government, Jones was convicted by a California court in 2000 on three counts of sexually molesting children aged under 13. The US authorities informed the BI about his impending arrival in Manila barely a few hours before his plane landed at the airport.
BI bars American sex convict at NAIA
This prompted Tansingco to issue an alert order for his exclusion if encountered at the airport, which led to his interception.
Meanwhile, Tansingco said that they are working with the department of justice (DOJ) to investigate reports of ‘escorting’ at the airports.
In a statement, Tansingco said that they will be coordinating with the Justice Department to look into reports of facilitation of travelers with problematic documents.
The BI Chief made the statement following an interview with DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, who said that the Department is investigating the possible resurgence of escort services offered by immigration officers at the airports.
Tansingco bared that there are a total of 72 pending cases before their Board of Discipline (BOD) against erring immigration personnel since he assumed office.
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