BI deports 3 American sex offenders

CLARK FREEPORT, Philippines — Three American sex offenders were denied entry by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and at Mactan Cebu International Airport while a Canadian was arrested at Clark International Airport for using a fake Philippine visa.

BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said in a statement that convicted sex offenders are subject to outright exclusion and are deported on the next available flight.

“The Philippines is off-limits to these foreign sex predators,” Tansingco said.

He said Americans Clifton Lee Vaughan and Eusebio Garcia Gallegos were turned away at the NAIA last week, citing Vaughan’s conviction by a Missouri court in 1983 for sexual abuse and Gallegos’ conviction by a Texas court in 2003 for engaging in indecent acts and contact with a child.

The BI also denied James Nicholas Ibach entry at the airport in Mactan, Cebu. Ibach was convicted in 2019 for possession and control of obscene photographs depicting a minor in sexual conduct.

Tansingco said the three were placed in the BI blacklist and banned from entering the country.

Meanwhile, the BI also intercepted Canadian Nelson John Amos, 64, at Clark International after he presented an Alien Certificate of Registration card that was not recognized by the BI’s automated travel control system.

Tansingco said Amos later admitted that he bought the fake travel document from a fixer who charged P40,000 as processing and service fee.