US national with sex offense conviction denied entry to PH

Immigration authorities denied entry to a 36-year-old American national, Matthew Stephen Gross, who has a previous conviction for a sex offense involving a minor.

Gross was intercepted at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport upon arrival from Taipei and was immediately deported.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) cited national security and public safety concerns as reasons for the denial of entry.

Gross's record includes a 2012 conviction in the United States for second-degree sexual abuse involving a 17-year-old.

The BI has blacklisted Gross, permanently barring him from entering the Philippines in the future.

Philippine law allows for the denial of entry to individuals with convictions involving moral turpitude, as they may pose a threat to public safety and national security.