PH consulate warns Filipinos in HK against pawning their passports 2 SHARES Share it! Share TweetBy Noreen JazulFilipinos in Hong Kong were warned not to use their passports as collateral for loans or debts following the seizure by local authorities of around 1,400 pawned passports from an illegal money lender. “We remind all Filipinos in Hong Kong that all Philippine passports are property of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines, and shall not be used as collateral for any loans or debts,” the Consulate’s advisory read. The Consulate also called on Filipinos “to stop patronizing” loan sharks and illegal money lenders-at-large and “honor the sanctity of the Philippine passport.”Consul General Antonio A. Morales, for his part, told the Filipino community in Hong Kong that pawning passports is a violation of the Philippine Passport Act. The Consulate, meanwhile, said it has sent a letter to Hong Kong SAR Licensed Money Lenders Association Limited (LMLA) seeking assistance on the issue of “illegal money lending activities and practices, including accepting passports as collateral for loans.”

Source: Manila Bulletin July 05, 2019 05:48 UTC