For two members of the wildly popular boy band One Direction, their morning mellow might be ‘harshed’ quite a bit thanks to an unforeseen demand.
The band is slated to fly to Manila in the Philippines for the next stop on their current worldwide “On The Road Again” tour. However, the Philippines Bureau of Immigration gave the band a stipulation that specifically required Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson to pay a ‘weed bond’ of US$5,000 before entering the country. The tariff would be held by the bureau for the duration of their concert date. If Malik and Tomlinson are caught either using illicit narcotics or promoting their usage during their stay, the money gets kept by the bureau. The surprising fee imposed by the government is a result of the efforts of the community group known as the Anti-Drugs Advocate. The bond includes the base fine of US$4,470 and a processing fee of US$447.
For Malik and Tomlinson, the scrutiny they’ve earned can be traced back to their infamous appearance in a video taken after a concert stop in Peru last year. The video, which was leaked to British newspaper The Daily Mail, shows both band members toking up in a car and engaging in jokes about drug use. Both members went on to apologize for their behavior and the video soon after. Nonetheless, the video caught the eye of the Anti-Drugs Advocate group, and they in turn approached the government to impose this on the group. Elaine Tan, a spokeswoman for the bureau, said in a press release, ‘The condition is intended to protect the public interest should the band members commit any violation during their stay in the Philippines.’ She also stated that the band’s producer has paid the fines in full, clearing the way for One Direction to enter the country. But the Anti-Drug Advocate group isn’t fully satisfied – members of the group have been given passes to the show, which is set to take place at Manila’s Mall Of Asia Concert Grounds. Their intent is to observe One Direction’s activities throughout the concert. In addition, they’ve also asked the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to have officers monitor the band.
