Pioneer Sex Offender Blacklist Removals — Bureau of Immigration / Department of Justice (June 2026)
Atty. Alexander Llanes Acain Jr. successfully obtained the lifting of the Bureau of Immigration blacklist for two foreign nationals who had been blacklisted as registered sex offenders — a category that had been categorically barred from blacklist removal under prior DOJ policy.
Following the DOJ’s relaxation of its blacklist removal rules in 2024 to permit case-by-case petitions from sex offenders, Atty. Acain immediately filed petitions on behalf of both clients. He secured approval from the Secretary of Justice, and the Bureau of Immigration approved both Petitions for Removal from the Blacklist.
His clients were the first foreign nationals in the Philippines to benefit from the relaxed rules — pioneer recipients of a policy change that had previously left this category of blacklisted individuals without any legal remedy.
Blacklist Lifted — Swiss National who was Issued a Philippine Passport
When a Swiss national found himself blacklisted by the Philippine Bureau of Immigration, the stakes were far higher than mere travel inconvenience. As the former spouse of a Filipino citizen and a devoted father to their young child, being barred from entering the country meant being severed from the person who mattered most: his child.
The blacklisting had stemmed from a critical oversight—the unauthorized use of a Philippine passport. Under strict immigration laws, such an infraction usually carries long-term entry bans, leaving little room for leniency. To the authorities, it was a clear-cut regulatory violation. To our client, it threatened to turn a procedural mistake into a permanent family separation. The BI lifted the blacklist for humanitarian grounds.
Blacklist Lifted — American National Blacklisted for Indigence
An American national married to a Filipino citizen was blacklisted after financial difficulties prevented him from renewing his visa. He had returned to the US and secured stable employment before approaching our firm. We settled his outstanding BI fees, fines, and penalties, submitted documentary proof of his current financial stability, and obtained the lifting of the blacklist order.
Blacklist Lifted — British National (Malampaya Project), Discourtesy Incident
A British national who had worked on the Malampaya MP3 Project for SPEX (Shell Philippines) was blacklisted following an isolated discourtesy incident with an immigration officer. We facilitated a resolution with the Bureau of Immigration; our client submitted an acknowledged letter of apology, and the blacklist order was lifted.
Deportation Case Dismissed — False Allegations Refuted
A foreign national faced deportation proceedings based on fabricated allegations of threatening behavior and danger to the community. We submitted a well-documented counter-affidavit with corroborating evidence, including text messages, photographs, and records of documented meetings. The Bureau of Immigration dismissed the deportation case for lack of merit.
