American tourist banned from the Philippines for writing expletive words on e-travel form
- An immigration official said Anthony Joseph Laurence wrote false information and ‘profane’ words on his digital travel pass
- Some 44 tourists were banned from entering the Philippines so far this year for abusing immigration officers
Anthony Joseph Laurence, the tourist, arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila and wrote false information on his e-travel pass, per the report.
“After verifying in our system, the officer discovered that the passenger keyed in a made-up address in the Philippines, did not include his full name, and inputted profane words in his entry,” Norman Tansingco, the Bureau of Immigration’s commissioner, told the Inquirer.
Laurence, 34, travelled to Manila from Bangkok, Thailand, the Philippine News Agency reported, citing the Bureau of Investigation.
When Laurence arrived at NAIA, an immigration officer reminded him to complete his e-travel form, Tansingco said. Laurence responded by throwing his passport and phone at the officer, Tangsico added.
On a phone call with Business Insider, Laurence denied throwing his passport and phone. “I handed him my passport. I didn’t throw it at him, that was a lie. And then I turned my phone around so that he could see the QR code.”
