Valentine’s Day attempt by sex offender foiled by Phl immigration

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported that its immigration officers at Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) barred the entry of a British sex offender on 14 February.

BI-MCIA identified the passenger as Mark Andrew Bowman, a 54-year-old male who was stopped by immigration officers upon his arrival in Cebu onboard a Singapore Airlines flight from Singapore.

Bowman was said to be planning to enter the country and stay in Brgy. Basak, Lapu-Lapu City, for almost a month.

According to Section 29(A)3 of Philippine immigration rules, Bowman was recognized as a registered sex offender after the Bureau of Immigration (BI) received information from government intelligence sources that he had previously been found guilty of gross indecency with a 10-year-old child as his victim.

His name was immediately noticed when it turned up on the BI's list of foreign nationals who had previously been found guilty of offenses involving moral turpitude.

BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said that they commend the swift and decisive action of their immigration officers at MCIA in intercepting this sexual predator, and they remain steadfast in their commitment to ensuring the integrity of our borders.

Bowman was immediately excluded and boarded on the next available flight back to his port of origin.

Due to the exclusion, the bureau has added his name to the BI Blacklist, preventing him from re-entering the country at any international port.