A Czech tourist was denied entry by Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers
at the Clark International Airport (CIA) in Pampanga for rude behavior
after protesting his being required to register in the Bureau’s
eTravel system.
In a statement, Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said
55-year-old Jaroslav Konsel was denied entry last Jan. 23 after arriving
aboard a Cebu Pacific flight from Hongkong.
Tansingco said Konsel was turned away after the latter uttered
expletives against the BI officers who asked him to first register in
the eTravel online system before he could be admitted into the country.
Registration in the eTravel system is mandatory for all international
passengers as it is an electronic travel declaration system which
receives and stores information and data about all passengers who enter
and exit the country.
It replaced the arrival and departure cards that international travelers
used to fill out as it harmonizes all data on passengers into one
digital platform for all government agencies collecting arriving data,
thus providing a quick and seamless travel experience for the public.
The eTravel can be filled out 72 hours prior to arrival to the
Philippines.
According to Tansingco, Konsel’s act of defiantly refusing to comply
with eTravel requirement amounts to disrespecting the country’s laws
and its persons of authority.
“Reports that he taunted and mocked the immigration officers who were
politely explaining to him the eTravel requirement is enough ground for
him to be excluded and banned from entering the country,” the BI chief
stressed.
Airline and immigration employees were said to have attempted to assist
him in filling out the form, which he all angrily rejected.
An order placing the Kornel in the BI blacklist of undesirable aliens
was already issued by Tansingco.
BI-CIA officials reported that Konsel immediately became rude and
started mouthing foul language when he was told by the BI officer to
first fill out the e-travel form online.
He allegedly continued to behave in an outraged manner even as he was
filling out the eTravel form and even refused to listen or follow
instructions from people who were assisting him in the eTravel counter.
When he returned to the BI counter, Kornel continued to complain and
furiously slammed the front desk of the BI officer, thus causing further
commotion in the airport.