AN AMERICAN national, who was previously convicted of a sex crime in the United States, was barred from entering the country at the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA), the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024.
Michael Allen Turner, 41, who arrived from Hong Kong on Aug. 24 was denied entry at the MCIA.
He was convicted in 2003 of sexual assault of a child in the second degree.
Turner is one of seven Americans previously convicted of sex crimes who were barred from entering the country, said the BI.
In a news release, BI officer-in-charge Joel Anthony Viado reported that passengers were intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and MCIA over the past three weeks.
The individuals arrived on separate dates and attempted to enter the country as tourists.
Among those denied was Dustin Patrick Auvil, 57, who arrived at NAIA Terminal 3 on Aug 22 and was intercepted. He had been convicted in 2006 of sexually assaulting a four-year-old girl.
On the same day, Daniel Russell Eoff, 24, also arrived at NAIA 3 and was barred. He had been convicted in 2013 of second-degree sexual assault against a six-year-old child.
Francisco Javier Alvarado, 39, was barred entry on Aug. 23 for possessing child pornography. Likewise, Matthew Thorin Wall, 46, who arrived at NAIA on Aug. 28, was intercepted on Aug. 29. He had been convicted in 1999 of sexual penetration and copulation.
Another individual denied entry to the Philippines, Todd Lawrence Burchett, 41, arrived from Qatar at NAIA on Sept. 4. He had been convicted in 2014 of gross sexual imposition.
William Emil Wanket, 40, arrived at NAIA on September 10 and was denied entry. He had been convicted in 2006 of sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl.
In a news release, Viado confirmed that all individuals were denied entry and deported on the next available flight to their respective countries of origin.
Furthermore, they have been added to the country’s immigration blacklist, permanently barring them from re-entering the Philippines. / JBB