The report said tourist Anthony Joseph Laurence arrived at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport and wrote false information on his electronic pass.
“After checking our system, the officer discovered that the passenger had entered a fictitious address within the Philippines, didn’t provide his full name, and included vulgar words within the entry,” said Norman Tansingco, commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration to the Inquirer.
Laurence, 34, traveled to Manila from Bangkok, Thailand, the Philippine News Agency reported, citing the Bureau of Investigation.
Tansingco said that when Laurence arrived at NAIA, an immigration officer reminded him to finish the e-travel form. Tangsico added that in response, Laurence threw his passport and phone on the officer.
Singapore deports and bans entry of a Chinese woman who argued with police
Singapore deports and bans entry of a Chinese woman who argued with police
During a phone interview with Business Insider, Laurence denied throwing away his passport and phone. “I gave him my passport. I didn’t throw it at him, that was a lie. And then I turned the phone around so he could see the QR code.
Laurence told BI that he is an investor and has been living in Cebu, a city 563 km (350 miles) southeast of Manila, for two years. He said he owns property in Cebu and has traveled to and from the Philippines six or seven times in the past two years. BI was unable to independently verify his occupation, home ownership or travel history.
“I put a swear word on the form that wasn’t directed at anyone,” Laurence said. He refused to share what he wrote on the shape with BI.
“I made a mistake by not filling out the shape accurately, but I do not think that mistake warrants permanently blocking and blacklisting the person,” he said.
“We expect all individuals to act respectfully and follow established procedures. Any violations of these procedures will be dealt with firmly,” Tansingco said.
Is South Korea ‘deliberately avoiding’ Thai tourists by sending them back?
Is South Korea ‘deliberately avoiding’ Thai tourists by sending them back?
According to the official government website, the Philippines requires all travelers to finish an electronic travel card at the very least 72 hours before arrival and departure.
So far, about 44 tourists have been banned from entering the Philippines for mistreating immigration officers, the Inquirer reports, citing the Bureau of Immigration. In 2019, over eight million tourists visited the country. That same yr, 180 foreigners – including 10 US residents – were banned from entering the country for inappropriate behavior towards airport officials.
The Bureau of Immigration didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.
