Multi-platinum-selling singer and actor Christian Bautista will be escorted to a plane and sent back to the Philippines on Friday night after violating the terms of his visa by giving a performance in Indonesia this week.
Immigration official Herawan Sukoaji said on Friday that Bautista was being deported for disrespecting and disobeying Indonesia’s 30-day visa regulations, which prohibit foreigners from working while in the country.
Bautista is also barred from re-entering Indonesia for six months, Herawan added.
The singer is scheduled to leave Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on an 8 p.m. Singapore Airlines flight.
“Christian’s departure to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport will be escorted by investigators from the Directorate General of Immigration,” Herawan said.
Bautista was pulled in for questioning and had his passport confiscated on Thursday after it was discovered that he had staged a performance in Lippo Karawaci, Tangerang, the previous night.
After being questioned by immigration officials, he appeared on TransTV on Thursday night.
The announcement that he would be deported came on Friday morning.
According to Herawan, Bautista has traveled to Indonesia numerous times on a work visa.
“But this time, the sponsor did not fully understand the immigration regulations, so Christian used the free visa,” Herawan said.
Bautista's manager, however, denied that the Pinoy singer had been deported.
"Christian is not deported. Whatever the problems in the immigration was legally settled. He is on his way home from Singapore tomorrow and will be back in Jakarta for his Valentine's concert in Hotel Mulia," manager Carlo Orosa said.
He said Bautista will be flying to Singapore tonight before returning to Manila on Saturday. With a report from TV Patrol
