It took the
Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong only a few hours to distance itself
from a post it supposedly sent out, calling on people to disclose information
they might have about a Filipina who is allegedly wanted for “concubinage.”
The fake post
immediately went viral, despite obviously erroneous claims.
For one thing,
concubinage is a crime committed only by married men who cohabit with a woman
other than his wife. A woman, on the other hand, can be charged with adultery
if she engages in an extra-marital affair.
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| Basahin ang detalye! |
However, and more
importantly, the Consulate will never post publicly about certain crimes
allegedly committed by a Filipino national.
This was stressed
in the Consulate’s advisory captioned “fake posts purporting to be issued by
Hong Kong PCG.”.
“The Consulate General
stresses that it will not divulge personal information to the public without
the data owner’s consent in all its social media posts, in compliance with R.A.
No 10173 of the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and the Personal Data (Privacy)
Ordinance.
The PCG also
warned the public against using its name, seal and other symbols without
authorization, and advised all Filipinos not to easily rely on social media
posts, and not spread fake posts supposedly coming from the Consulate.
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| The fake post was shared by many Filipinos in HK |
Addressing the fake
notice that the alleged respondent in the legal complaint has been summoned to
its office on August 31, a holiday, the Consulate said it never invites
Filipino nationals to its office on work days,
for amicable settlements of disputes.
Further, any such
invitation is always sent directly to the parties involved “and never through
public notices.
The fake post
which was posted anonymously in several Facebook groups and reposted by
individuals in their own accounts, came with a supposed warning to members of
the Filipino community that engaging in relationships with married persons is
punishable under Philippine law.
The post also
falsely claimed that such actions also violate local regulations and can lead
to the cancellation of a person’s employment visa, and immediate deportation
back to the Philippines.
It is unclear who
was behind the fake post, and why it was made.
