(UPDATE) THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) has arrested a Canadian wanted in his home country for offenses involving child sexual abuse material.
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado on Monday announced the arrest of 77-year-old Rudolf Hannes Hofer, who was apprehended by agents of the bureau’s Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) in San Carlos City, Pangasinan.
The arrest was carried out in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to strengthen border security and ensure that the country does not become a safe haven for individuals fleeing prosecution abroad.
BI operatives conducted the operation in coordination with government intelligence agencies and the San Carlos City Police Station.
According to Viado, the arrest stemmed from information provided by Canadian authorities and verified through official channels.
Hofer is the subject of two active warrants issued in British Columbia, Canada.
The warrants were issued for alleged possession of child sexual abuse material and breach of undertaking. Further investigation by the BI revealed that Hofer had also been overstaying in the country.
Viado stressed that the bureau remains vigilant against foreign nationals who attempt to evade justice in their country by hiding in the Philippines.
“The Philippines will not serve as a sanctuary for fugitives seeking to escape accountability for serious crimes,” Viado said.
He added that the BI’s #ShieldKids campaign remains focused on protecting vulnerable sectors, particularly children, through close cooperation with international law enforcement partners in locating, arresting and deporting foreign offenders.
Hofer is currently detained at the bureau’s Warden Facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, where he will remain while deportation proceedings and other immigration processes are underway.
In 2024, the BI launched Project #ShieldKids Campaign, in coordination with the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (Iacat) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The project seeks to harmonize government efforts against sex offenders in the country by institutionalizing a network of communication among government agencies that investigate and arrest pedophiles and traffickers.
Citing BI records, Viado said the bureau barred 137 foreign nationals from entering the country in 2024 for being registered sex offenders, compared to 169 in 2023.
The same data showed that 109 Americans topped the list of those barred, followed by 12 Britons, five Australians, three Germans, and two Canadians.
Also excluded were citizens from American Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, Japan, Ireland, and the British Indian Ocean Territory.
“This decline shows that our message is clear — we will continue to shut our doors to these predators,” he said.
