Response to victims’ requests urged

November 07, 2013

Secretary for Security TK Lai urges the Philippines to respond to the Manila hostage tragedy victims’ and bereaved families’ four requests within the time the Hong Kong Government specified, to resolve the incident.
 
Speaking to reporters today after attending a Legislative Council meeting, Mr Lai said Hong Kong and Philippine Governments both allow people from the other place to visit visa-free for 14 days under an administrative arrangement. Some lawmakers are calling for a visa abolition agreement, which, he says, is a formal agreement.
 
The number of Filipinos visiting Hong Kong greatly outnumbers that of Hong Kong residents visiting the Philippines, he said, adding that is partly because the Security Bureau had issued a Black Outbound Travel Alert for the Philippines since the incident.
 
Mr Lai also said Hong Kong may have some financial losses if it ceases the visa-free arrangement for Filipinos to visit Hong Kong. 
 
"But this is comparatively much less when we compare [it] with [the number of] Hong Kong people going to the Philippines. And we also expect that if this measure is going to be implemented, the number of visitors from the Philippines will drop substantially."