11 Chinese tourists barred from entering PH

ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/03/14/20200122-naia-coronavirus-china-md-5705.jpg?ext=.jpg"/><figcaption>Personnel at the NAIA Terminal 1 in Parañaque City wear face masks upon the arrival of a flight from Guangzhou, China as a precaution on January 22, 2020, as the country heightens measures to prevent the spread of an undetermined strain of the coronavirus from China. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA - Eleven Chinese tourists were barred from entering the Philippines on Thursday, the Bureau of Immigration said Sunday.</p><p>The foreigners claimed they were invited to the country by two telecommunications companies purportedly to attend conferences, said Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente.</p><p>The tourists, who were in possession of entry exemption documents and temporary visitor visas, arrived via a China Southern Airlines flight from Guangzhou, according to the bureau.</p><p>Morente said possession of a valid visa and entry exemption was not a guarantee that an alien would be allowed entry as the passenger will still be subject to strict immigration inspection upon arrival.</p><p>“Their testimonies during the interview, however, were highly inconsistent with the supposed purpose of their trip,” Morente said in a statement.</p><p>“They claimed to be employed as engineers in China, but when asked by Immigration officers about basic details about their profession as well as their alleged conference, they could not provide any.&quot;</p><p>All 11 passengers were immediately booked on the first available flight to China and placed on the Immigration blacklist.</p><p>Majority of the foreigners <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/26/21/93-pct-of-foreigners-deported-by-ph-in-2020-are-chinese-says-immigration-bureau">deported</a> and <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/24/21/majority-of-illegal-aliens-arrested-in-2020-were-chinese-immigration-bureau">arrested</a> in the Philippines last year were Chinese, according to the BI.</p><p>The so-called &quot;pastillas&quot; bribery scheme allegedly involves Chinese tourists paying grease money to Immigration officials so they can enter the country even without proper work visas.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/23/21/from-10000-to-p550000-hontiveros-says-pastillas-scam-mutating">From 10,000 to P550,000: Hontiveros says &#x27;pastillas&#x27; scam mutating</a></li></ul><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1626432" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>The foreigners claimed they were invited to the country by 2 telcos purportedly to attend conferences, but gave inconsistent statements said Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente.</p>

The foreigners claimed they were invited to the country by 2 telcos purportedly to attend conferences, but gave inconsistent statements said Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente.

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11 Chinese tourists barred from entering PH

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 14, 2021 03:32 PM PHT

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Chinese nationals

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Jaime Morente

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