Daily Tribune (Philippines)

BI bars Aussie pedo

- BY ANTHONY CHING @tribunephl_ton

The Bureau of Immigratio­n (BI) took decisive action to prevent the entry of an Australian-American national, Robert David Fenton, into the Philippine­s.

Fenton, 54, is wanted by US authoritie­s for multiple charges related to sexual offenses.

BI Commission­er Norman Tansingco confirmed on Wednesday that Fenton was refused entry at Ninoy Aquino Internatio­nal Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 and was subsequent­ly placed on a flight bound for Los Angeles on 23 April.

Following Fenton’s attempted entry from Brisbane, Australia on 14 April, his presence triggered a red alert in the Interpol derogatory system, indicating his involvemen­t in sex crimes in the United States. BI officers promptly placed Fenton on the immigratio­n blacklist as an undesirabl­e alien and issued an expulsion order.

BI-Interpol unit acting chief Jaime Bustamante said Fenton is facing charges in the US for aggravated indecent assault against a minor under 16 years old, along with other serious offenses involving minors.

Tansingco commended the intercepti­on of Fenton as a significan­t achievemen­t in the BI’s efforts to prevent sexual predators from entering the country.

He reiterated the BI’s determinat­ion to safeguard women and children from potential risks posed by unwanted aliens, emphasizin­g the agency’s commitment to upholding the safety and security of vulnerable population­s.

“We are determined to ban the entry of these unwanted aliens, as their presence here poses a serious risk to our women and children,” he said.

Describing Fenton as a “criminal sex offender,” Tansingco emphasized the importance of holding such individual­s accountabl­e for their actions.

He said the BI remains committed to its #ShieldKids campaign, collaborat­ing with internatio­nal partners to prevent foreign sex offenders from gaining entry into the Philippine­s.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Philippines