Filipino mourner refused HK entry

MANILA, Philippines — A retired Filipino seaman got the shock of his life when he was denied entry to Hong Kong, after being told that coming here to attend the funeral of a loved one is not a valid reason for a visa.

Philippine passport-holders who visit the Special Administrative Region (SAR) are usually granted a 14-day visa-free stay.

But in 60-year-old Pepito Mamaril's case, he was instead held at Chep Lap Kok airport and sent back to the Philippines within hours of his arrival.

The incident is raising concern as a government source said it lacks sensitivity and is not related to any recent political issue.

Mamaril, 60, flew in last Wednesday to attend the funeral and wake of his sister-in-law, Emma Mamaril, a longtime permanent resident who was married to his elder brother, Fortunato.

But he was detained in an airport holding cell for hours and refused a visa before being put back on an evening return flight the same day.

A government source said Mamaril was denied entry because the purpose of his visit was doubtful.

The Immigration Department, meanwhile, will not comment on any individual case, but stressed officers are responsible for maintaining “effective immigration control.”

Mary Ann Mamaril-Sparrow said her uncle was the only relative from the Philippines able to attend the wake and cremation last weekend of her 65-year-old mother, who died after a lengthy illness.

“He was my mother's best friend on my father's side of the family,” Mamaril-Sparrow said.

Ludy Mamaril said her husband “was traumatized by the nightmare he experienced.”

In a statement seen by The Standard, Mamaril wrote that he told an immigration officer at the airport holding office he had P500 (HK$90) on hand when asked.

The immigration officer told him he would be sent back to the Philippines “because your money is not enough.”

The officer rang the number of Mamaril-Sparrow's father, but he hung up because the call was in Cantonese, Mamaril wrote.

Mamaril-Sparrow then went to the airport to join her worried father, who was waiting at arrival.

She spoke to an immigration officer and faxed her mother's death certificate and documents to support the identity of her uncle.

However she was told "the [deportation] order has already been made."

An officer told Mamaril-Sparrow "this was a one-off, and if your uncle wants to come back, he can always come back to Hong Kong."