Singaporean detained two weeks by Philippine immigration over 'verbal abuse' incident not aware he was on blacklist
May 27, 2013 - 12:56am
By: Zaihan Mohamed Yusof
TNP PHOTO: Zaihan Mohamed Yusof
Early last year, he had an altercation with an immigration officer in the Philippines when his Filipino wife-to-be had a problem leaving for Singapore for their wedding.
The Singaporean (above), who wanted to be known only as Mr S. Singh, did not know he had then been placed on an immigration blacklist.
On April 27 this year, Mr Singh, 34, had gone with his wife, Mrs Maria Singh, who is in her 30s, to the Philippines to visit his sick father-in-law.
On May 2, when the couple were supposed to board a 6am flight back to Singapore, Mr Singh was shocked that he was not allowed to leave.
He ended up spending two weeks in a Philippine jail.
His nightmare only ended when he got word from a detention centre officer on May 15 that “all relevant papers” had been signed and he boarded a plane home two days later.
Read the full report in The New Paper on Monday (May 27).
