AN UNRULY Czech tourist and an American accused of abusing a 16-year girl in Mindanao two years ago were barred from entering the country, according to the Bureau of Immigration.
The Czech national, identified as Jaroslav Konsel was denied entry upon arrival via a Cebu Pacific flight from Hong Kong for rowdy behavior and for refusal to register in the bureau’s eTravel system.
Immigration chief Norman Tansingco said Konsel was denied entry after the latter uttered expletives against the BI officers who asked him to register in the eTravel online system before he could be admitted into the country.
Registration in the eTravel system is mandatory for all international passengers as it is an electronic travel declaration system which receives and stores information and data about all passengers who enter and leave the country.
It replaced the arrival and departure cards that international travelers used to fill out as it harmonizes all data on passengers into one digital platform for all government agencies collecting arriving data, thus providing a quick and seamless travel experience for the public.
The eTravel can be filled out 72 hours prior to arrival to the Philippines.
Meanwhile, the BI also shut the country’s doors on an American who reportedly sexually abused on several occasions a 16-year-old girl in Mindanao two years ago.
The 80-year-old Jerold Jay Whiting was denied entry at the NAIA 3 terminal upon arrival aboard a United Airlines flight from Guam.
Tansingco described Whiting as “heartless” after receiving reports that the latter sexually molested and abused his minor victim several times.
He added that Whiting was said to have subjected his victim to online sexual exploitation by recording videos of their sexual activities, apparently for distribution to the public of the pornographic materials.
“We cannot allow foreign sex offenders like him to step in our territory for even a second as they pose a very serious threat to our women and children,” Tansingco said.