Pokwang wins deportation case vs ex-partner

MANILA, Philippines — Comedian Pokwang won a deportation case she filed against her former partner, American actor, Lee O’Brian.

The Bureau of Immigration, (BI) in an eight-page resolution dated Dec. 12, declared that O’Brian would be deported and blacklisted.

His tourist visa would also be cancelled, according to the BI.

The American “violated the terms and conditions of his stay here in the country” through his “active involvement in the film, television programs and theatrical industry,” Pokwang’s lawyer, Rafael Vicente Calinisan, said in a statement, citing the BI ruling.

O’Brian kept on renewing his tourist visa despite his engagements in the media industry, Pokwang alleged.

He appeared in four films from 2016 to 2018 (“Mercury is Mine,” “Signal Rock,” “Ang Babaeng Allergic sa Wi-Fi” and “Sol Searching”), two television shows in 2022 (“Magpakailanman: The Rose Vega Story” and “Wish Ko Lang: Killer Menudo”), and recently a show on online streaming site Vivamax (“Sandwich”) in 2023, the BI resolution stated.

O’Brian was subjected to deportation for offenses under Sections 23 and 37 (A) (7) of the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940, Calinisan said.

“We have been consistent that Lee O’Brian must be made accountable, as his repeated renewal of his tourist visa constitutes fraud and willful misrepresentation of facts, while his work engagements are violations of limitations under which he was admitted as a non-immigrant,” Calinisan said in his statement.

Pokwang thanked her friends and supporters and vowed to become a better mother to Malia, her child with O’Brian. The two, who met while filming in the United States, were in a relationship for more than six years until they parted ways in November 2021.

Aside from violating immigration laws, Pokwang also accused O’Brian of having affairs with other women, scandalous behavior and failing to provide support for their daughter Malia.