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Tony Labrusca ‘deeply sorry’ over airport incident

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/tvpatrol/01/04/20180104-tony.jpg"/><figcaption>Tony Labrusca. Instagram: @tony.labrusca</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA—Actor Tony Labrusca on Friday apologized over an incident at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, where he admitted to “letting my emotions get the better of me” in dealing with an immigration officer.The “Glorious” star, 23, made the apology on Twitter, <a href="https://twitter.com/tonythesharky/status/1081184995639582720">addressed</a> to an officer of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) who had informed him of his 30-day allowable stay in the country shortly after arriving here from Canada on Thursday.“I want to extend my sincerest apology to the superior Immigration Officer (IO) who was on duty and I had a talk with yesterday morning,” he began.Narrating the incident, Labrusca said: “After lining up and crossing the immigration, I went up to the superior IO and we ended up going inside the enclosed space inside her office to discuss privately.“I admit I was a bit frustrated and that I asked why I was only given 30 days to stay in the country this time. I was unaware of the policy that because I was not with my mother, I did not qualify for a Balikbayan stamp.”Labrusca is the son of former Kulay singer Angel Jones and actor Boom Labrusca. Tony was born in the US, where he grew up with Jones and his step-father.In a statement released Friday morning, the BI pertained to the incident involving Labrusca, but withheld his name, to “remind the public on the scope of the Balikbayan Program for former Filipinos visiting the Philippines.”“The Balikbayan visa privilege is exclusively given to former Filipinos naturalized abroad, and their spouse and children who are travelling with them,” the statement quoted BI Commissioner Jaime Morente as saying.Labrusca, in his public apology, referred to being informed of his limited stay in the country as “very upsetting,” but denied a number of allegations that have gone viral on social media.“I’m sorry that I somehow took my frustrations out on the officer. But never did I ever call anyone stupid nor an idiot, much less brag about being a celebrity,” he wrote.In the BI statement, the incident was described as involving an “American passport holder who reportedly shouted expletives when he was only given a 30-day stay.”“He was allegedly furious at immigration for ‘giving him a hard time, despite him being a celebrity, with people wanting to take pictures with him,’” it added.Labrusca, who also shared his apology to his one million Instagram followers, said he knows “for a fact that the officer is merely doing her job.”“My biggest mistake perhaps was letting my emotions get the better of me and again I’m sorry,” he went on. “It was a long flight from Canada and while it is not a perfect excuse, I would like to start this year fresh both in my life and the people I’ve encountered. Once again, I am deeply sorry for my reaction.”

Tony Labrusca admitted to “letting my emotions get the better of me” in dealing with an immigration officer at NAIA.

Tony Labrusca admitted to “letting my emotions get the better of me” in dealing with an immigration officer at NAIA.