Cameroonian National Barred from Philippines for Passport Fraud

Cebu, Philippines – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has intercepted a Cameroonian national at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport for attempting to enter the country using a stolen French passport.

According to Philippines News Agency, Valentine Forkwa Mbanwei, a 31-year-old from Cameroon, was stopped by the BI’s Border Control and Enforcement Unit (BCIU) upon his arrival from Singapore on November 20. Initially presenting a French passport under a different name, an Interpol alert revealed the document to be reported stolen and lost by its original owner. Mbanwei later admitted his true identity and presented his Cameroonian passport. He was denied entry for misrepresentation, lack of an entry visa, and potential to become a public nuisance. Mbanwei’s name will be added to the BI’s blacklist, prohibiting him from entering the Philippines indefinitely. In a related case, the BI also reported the arrest of an 81-year-old Australian, David John Buckley, in Cebu. Buckley, currently detained at the BI’s holding facility in Taguig City, is facing charges of sexual abuse in Australia. Arrested on Bantayan Island, Buckley is subject to deportation and blacklisting for multiple sexual offenses in Queensland, Australia, and Papua New Guinea. Additionally, the BI’s Fugitive Search Unit arrested Chinese national Lin Hengyi in Taguig City for alleged economic crimes involving a fraudulent investment firm in China, resulting in substantial financial losses to investors.