2 American sex convicts barred from Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Immigration officers turned back two American sex offenders who arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the Bureau of Immigration reported yesterday.

Eric Blair Smith, 57, arrived from Los Angeles, California on Thursday.

Smith was convicted of molesting a child under 18 years old in 1986 and sexual battery in 2013 in California.

He also received a prison sentence for lascivious acts with a child under 14 years old shortly before his 2013 conviction.

Marlon Buniel, 57, arrived from Honolulu on Oct. 20. He was found guilty of sexual assault in the fourth degree and kidnapping in Hawaii in 2012.

BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said Smith and Buniel were booked on the first available flight to their ports of origin.