A Filipina has sought the help of the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong after her employment was terminated by her employer for her outstanding debt.
According to The SUN, Mary, the Filipina who hails from Iloilo, approached the Assistance to Nationals section on March 23 after she was told to vacate her employer’s premises. Her boss was apparently irked by persistent phone calls by loan company whom she borrowed money worth HK$5,000.
The debt collector, who is also a Filipina, proudly reminded Mary that she cannot claim her pawned passport until she pays up.
Mary claimed that the creditor coerced her into paying first her outstanding debt before she can claim back her passport; she refused to budge and wanted a fair exchange of payment and collateral.
The Consulate met the two parties on March 28 as Mary confessed into not having enough money to pay off her debts as she used it to pay for her boarding house, food and agency as she looks for a new employer. The debtor was forced to return the passport without receiving the cash payment.
Nevertheless, Mary was not off the hook as she was asked to sign an agreement with the Consulate to pay up her outstanding debt and pledged not to pawn her passport; she won’t get any replacement if she does it again.