JAKARTA - At least four Israelis were arrested in the tourist area of Siargao Island in the Philippines for alleged violations of the law.
"They were found to have violated immigration laws, therefore they will face sanctions for their violations," said Dana Krizia Sandoval, spokesperson for the Philippine Immigration Bureau, to AN, Monday, June 29.
This arrest came after two Israelis who traveled to Siargao last month made trouble, racism, and attacked the owner of a cafe because the business displayed a Palestinian flag.
Over the past few weeks, influential Filipino figures have called for action against tourists from Israel to stop harassment, abuse of businesses and mischief.
Meanwhile, on the island of Siargao, southern Philippines, its residents have protested against the presence of Israeli tourists.
Elie Rasa, a resident of Siargao and a local community activist, welcomed the arrest of the Israeli tourist. He also hopes that the government will carry out operations to arrest Israeli citizens who often make trouble and their own way in the Philippines.
"I'm glad that finally our authorities are now doing something about it, taking the necessary action against these foreign nationals who are blatantly violating our laws," he said.
"There are many of them here who have businesses and a lot of land, which we know they can't... Hopefully, this is the beginning of our authorities' action on complaints from the Siargao community," he continued.
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