One Direction’s Zayn Malik & Louis Tomlinson Ordered To Pay Philippines’ $5,000 Drug Bond, As Zayn Leaves World Tour
One Direction singers Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson have been ordered by the Philippines’ Bureau of Immigration to pay drug bonds of up to $5,000 each. Both guys will have to pay up before performing in the Philippines. Zayn and Louis have been ordered to pay the bonds in case they are caught smoking marijuana while performing in the country, says The Daily Telegraph.
Elaine Tan, a spokesperson for the bureau, explained the reason for One Direction’s drug bond in a recent statement quoted by The Telegraph.
“The condition is intended to protect the public interest should the band members commit any violation during their stay in the Philippines.”
The New York Daily News reports that Malik and Tomlinson have been requested to pay a $4,470 bond and $447 processing fee through their One Direction producer, Tan said on Thursday.
If Malik, 22, and Tomlinson, 23, don’t pay the $5,000 drug bond, both members of One Direction will be prevented from performing in Manila, Philippines during their On the Road Again world tour. The boy band is expected to perform at the Mall of Asia Concert Grounds.
The guys have been asked to pay the drug bond after a video leaked on the internet last May. The footage showed Zayn and Louis passing around a mysterious “joint” and joking about drugs and race. The video was allegedly filmed while One Direction was on tour in Latin America, says People magazine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIepuvisIgo
The group is still awaiting a response from Malik and Tomlison to their bond and petition asking a local court to work with government agencies to make sure that One Direction are drug-free during this part of the tour. The group also requested that a Philippines Drug Enforcement Agency sends officials to watch the band closely, especially Malik and Tomlinson.
This drug bond may not matter for Zayn since he decided to leave the world tour. Simon Jones of Hackford Jones PR, which represents One Direction in their homeland of the U.K., tweeted that the singer is leaving the On The Road tour due to “stress.” Jones quickly added that One Direction “will continue with their performances in Manila and Jakarta.”
It’s not hard to believe that Malik is under a lot of stress lately. Photos of him with a mystery blonde surfaced on the internet earlier this week. Malik was accused of cheating on his fiancé Perrie Edwards with the blonde, who was later revealed to be a fan named Lauren Rich. Malik then took to Twitter to deny the cheating allegations and to say he still loves his fiancé.
What are your thoughts on One Direction being ordered to pay a drug bond before performing in the Philippines? Do you think Zayn Malik’s disappearance will hurt the boy band?
[Image: Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images]