The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said its officers in the different ports of entry barred 124 aliens from entering the country last year for being rude and disrespectful to immigration officers.
Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval said the number of rude passengers turned back in 2023 was slightly higher than the 64 foreigners who were similarly denied entry in 2023.
Aside from being returned to their port of origin, the discourteous passengers were blacklisted and banned from reentering the country for being undesirable aliens.
“We again warn foreigners intending to visit the Philippines that they should refrain from being disrespectful when dealing with our officers as such behavior is an affront to persons in authority,” the BI said, adding that verbally or physically assaulting immigration officers cannot be tolerated as such acts will warrant appropriate sanctions from the BI, including kicking out the rude passenger.
Reports said some of the passengers were drunk and unruly while others were arrogant that they even shouted expletives and utter insulting words against Filipinos and the government.
Sandoval mentioned the case of an unnamed New Zealander, 34 years old, who arrived last Feb. 9 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 on board a Cebu Pacific Airlines flight from Melbourne.
The man presented himself for primary inspection when officers found that he failed to fill out the eTravel. He was requested to step aside and fill out the online form to prevent blocking the queue.
However, he refused to fill out the required form and hurled invective words towards the immigration officer, bragging that the Commissioner will definitely allow his entry to the country.
He was also found to be highly intoxicated and displayed disrespectful behavior towards the officers.
“Foreign visitors are expected to respect our laws and policies,” said Viado. “Disrespect towards our officers and refusal to comply with entry procedures will not be tolerated,” she added.
Due to his unruly behavior and non-compliance, the passenger was denied entry and was placed on the next available flight back to his port of origin.
The New Zealander was also placed on the BI’s blacklist, barring him from re-entering the Philippines in the future. Viado reiterated that while the Philippines welcomes foreign visitors, adherence to immigration protocols is a fundamental requirement for entry.
