2 sex offenders barred entry to PH

TWO convicted sexual offenders have been barred entry to the country by the Bureau of Immigration.

Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco identified the two as Irishman Charles Henry Gabler, 52; and American Mark Halligan, 29; who were both intercepted at the NAIA Terminal 3.

Tansingco said Gabler was turned back last June 23 when he arrived via a United Airlines flight from Guam, while Halligan was excluded on July 4 upon arriving on an Emirates flight from Dubai.

Tansingco said both foreigners were placed in the BI blacklist and perpetually barred from entering the Philippines for being undesirable aliens.

“They were denied entry pursuant to a provision in our immigration law which prohibits the entry of foreigners convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude,” the BI chief added.

BI records showed that it was Gabler’s second time to be turned away at NAIA as he was already previously excluded when he first attempted to enter the country in November 2022.

Gabler, according to Tansingco, was convicted in 2012 of raping a 16-year-old girl.

Halligan was convicted for the crime of rape in 2020.

Tansingco warned other convicted foreign sex offenders to avoid traveling to the Philippines as they will be turned away the moment they step on Philippine soil.