Indonesia deports Christian Bautista

CHRISTIAN Bautista

MANILA, Philippines—Christian Bautista has been deported from Indonesia for working there using his visiting visa, the Jakarta Post reported.

Bautista, who is hugely popular in Indonesia, was found Wednesday by immigration officers holding a show in Lippo Karawaci west of Jakarta without a working visa, the news report said.

“We will deport him this [Friday] afternoon,” Sukoadji, a spokesman of the immigration directorate general, was quoted by tribunnews.com as saying.

“Christian had a 30-day visiting visa since Wednesday but apparently used the opportunity to hold a concert on the day he arrived in Indonesia,” the Jakarta Post said, quoting Sukoadji.

Bautista, who rose to fame in Indonesia with the hit single “The Way You Look at Me”, was questioned by immigration officers for three hours on Friday.

But Bautista denied he was deported.

“No I was not deported,” he said in his Twitter account. “There was just some visa issues that needed clarification with the immigration in Indonesia.”

“(E)verything is ok, I’ll be back in Indonesia during Valentine’s Day :),” he tweeted.