Manila, Feb. 13 -- Several Americans with records of convictions as sex offenders in their country have been barred from entering the country last month, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported Thursday.

In a statement, Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said five of the passengers were excluded at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) while one was intercepted at the Mactan airport in Cebu.

"They were denied entry by our immigration officers upon discovering that they are among the thousands of registered sex offenders (RSOs) who are in our database," Viado said.

He said the move is in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s commitment to protecting children and ensuring that foreign criminals, especially those with a histo...