MANILA, Philippines — A 59-year-old American fugitive wanted in the United States for child molestation charges was arrested in Pangasinan by operatives of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) as part of the government’s intensified campaign against foreign sex offenders hiding in the country.
The arrest of Matthew Cole Calhoun highlights the continuing crackdown under the BI’s #ShieldKids campaign, which targets foreign predators and transnational criminals exploiting vulnerable sectors in the Philippines.
Authorities said Calhoun, a US citizen, was apprehended during an enforcement operation conducted on the evening of May 16 in Barangay Navaluan, Mangaldan, Pangasinan.
The operation was carried out by members of the BI’s Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) in coordination with US authorities, the National Bureau of Investigation Ilocos Regional Office, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the arrest supported the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to strengthen border security and intensify the hunt for foreign fugitives seeking refuge in the country.
FSU chief Rendel Ryan Sy said Calhoun was facing multiple criminal charges in Florida, including two counts of lewd or lascivious molestation classified as life felonies.
He is also facing two additional second-degree felony charges related to the same offense, according to information shared by US authorities.
The BI said American authorities were already moving to cancel Calhoun’s passport, a step that would pave the way for his deportation from the Philippines.
Viado commended the BI-FSU operatives for the successful operation, stressing that the bureau remained relentless in pursuing foreign criminals hiding in the country.
“Our message is clear: predators and fugitives who attempt to hide in the Philippines will be found and removed,” Viado said.
