MANILA, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine Bureau of Immigration said on Tuesday that it has barred the entry of a Pakistani man after the traveller's name appeared in the government's watch list.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said in a statement that airport authorities did not allow Muhammad Arif, 43, to enter the Philippines after his name popped up in the Interpol's database of "al-Qaida Sanction List" of individuals.
Arif reportedly arrived last Saturday from Bangkok, Thailand but was turned back after his name appeared on the Bureau of Immigration watch list.
"We were informed that his purpose in coming here was doubtful because he could not pinpoint the places that he wanted to visit. He also could not tell why he was traveling alone," Morente said.
He said that the immigration officers at Manila's airport did not have a choice but to exclude Arif "for posing a threat to our national security and risk for public safety."
He said Arif's name was also in the September 2011 blacklist order issued by then Bureau of Immigration chief Ricardo David, also for being an alleged member of al-Qaida terror group.
Morente said that immigration officers also noticed that Arif's picture in his passport has "striking resemblance" with the picture of the Arif who was in the Interpol database.
"When interviewed by the immigration supervisor, Arif claimed he owns the Dawn pharmaceuticals store in Islamabad and is a distributor of Novartis Pharmaceutical Company," Morente said.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has warned that ISIS militants have managed to establish links with local terrorist groups operating in the southern Philippines, home of the country's Filipino Muslims.
