MANILA, Philippines- The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has asked the organizers of One Direction's concert in Manila to pay a P400,000 cash bond.
This is in connection with the petition of anti-drugs group Laban ng Pamilyang Pilipino in relation with the marijuana use of the group's two members Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson.
The video of Malik and Tomlinson using smoking marijuana went viral last year.
According to the report by radio DZMM, the BI asked the concert organizers to pay P200,000 cash bond each for Malik and Tomlinson, and another P20,000 each for their express lane fee. If the organizers fail to oblige, the department will not release the Special Work Permit of the band, the report added.
In case the group violates an Immigration rule or uses illegal drugs while in the Philippines, the cash bond will be forfeited in favor of the government.
The group's concert will happen on March 21 and 22 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Meanwhile, Cherry Ching of the Laban ng Pamilyang Pilipino reiterated that they're not against the band. She said they are against the negative influence that the band may pass on to their younger fans regarding the use of illegal drugs.
“We do not hate the band, we love them,” Ching said. “I personally love them. It's just the drugs that we hate. You don't hate the sinner, you hate the sin that destroys them and drugs definitely destroy the lives of the youth.”
The group also expressed on their Facebook page that the agitated fans of the band cannot stop them with their advocacy and instead inspire them to continue their fight.