AMID the rise in incidents of foreign registered sex offenders trying to enter the country, the Bureau of Immigration yesterday launched a campaign against sexual predators, especially those targeting minors.
Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco led the launching of the project, dubbed as the Shield Kids Campaign, in Pasay City on Wednesday.
“Project #Shieldkids endeavors to harmonize government efforts against sex offenders in the country by institutionalizing a network of communication amongst government agencies involved in investigating and arresting pedophiles and traffickers,” Tansingco said.
He said this will also enhance the agency’s drive by prioritizing cases against foreign nationals suspected of involvement in sex trafficking of children.
“Lastly, as part of the campaign, the BI has opened up the Commissioner’s helpline via (our social page) Facebook.com/immigration.helpline.ph, encouraging concerned citizens to report potential cases of child exploitation and abuse involving foreign nationals,” the BI chief said.
The launching was also attended by Justice Undersecretary and Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) head Nicholas Felix Ty, and Social Welfare Undersecretary Angelo Tapales.
To recall, in 2023 alone, the BI barred from entering the country 171 foreign nationals who were previously convicted of sex crimes or are wanted for such cases in their respective countries.
Immigration agents also apprehended multiple foreign pedophiles in the country.
Notable among these arrests are cases such as the apprehension of French pedophile Theddy Douglas Tissier in Makati just last December, and the successful capture of octogenarian pedophile David John Buckley in Cebu last November.
“The threat against our children is real and is here. With the reopening of the country’s borders post-pandemic comes the rise of attempts of sexual predators to enter the country,” said Tansingco.
Tansingco encouraged citizens to immediately report to the BI sexual predators who might be in their communities.
