malaysiangMANILA: Immigration officers barred two Americans previously convicted of committing sex crimes against minors from entering two international airports of the country.
The Bureau of Immigration’s (BI) report Monday, citing the border control and intelligence unit, said Carvin Renee White, 57; and Scott Edward Edson, 47, were turned away after confirmation of their derogatory records upon their arrival on Jan. 13.
White arrived at Mactan-Cebu International Airport aboard a Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong while Edson attempted entry via the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay, aboard a United Airlines flight from Guam.
They were immediately booked on the first available flight to their ports of origin.
‘We have been warning these sex offenders that they are not welcome here. If we encounter them, we have no choice but to turn them back. We are duty-bound to prevent the entry of aliens who are deemed as excludable under our immigration laws,’ Commissioner Norman Tansingco said in a st
atement.
Information from the United States government revealed that White was convicted by a court in Alabama in 2002 for a sexual misconduct against a 14-year-old girl.
Edson, meanwhile, was convicted in 1994 for raping a 13-year-old.
Both have been included in the BI blacklist.
Section 23 (a) of the Philippine Immigration Act prohibits the entry of aliens who have been charged or convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude.
In 2023, the BI barred 171 registered sex offenders from entering the country.
Source: Philippines News Agency
