By The SUN Team
 |
| President Duterte will visit HK for the first time since taking office in June last year |
Philippine
President Rodrigo R. Duterte is set to meet with a select group of Filipino
community leaders in Hong Kong this Saturday, May 13, on his way to
China after attending the World Economic Forum in Cambodia.
But
while the meeting has been confirmed by both Malacanang and the Consulate, reports
that the President will spend the next day, Sunday, doing a walkabout in
Central to meet overseas Filipino workers, appear to be false.
Vice
Consul Bob Quintin, who is coordinating the preparations for the presidential
visit, said President Duterte is only scheduled to address Filcom leaders at
the Regal Airport Hotel starting at 5pm on Saturday.
“No
other event, just the Filcom event,” Quintin said in response to an online query
from The SUN on whether other activities had been lined up for his visit.
However,
over at Worldwide House in Central, people remain abuzz with speculation about
the supposed walkabout by the president at OFW hangouts in the area.
“Haven’t
you heard? President Duterte will be at Chater Road on Sunday?” one shopkeeper said
confidently on Wednesday when asked what the OFWs nearby were all so excited
about.
Another
OFW who was told that the meeting with the President would take place a day
earlier at the airport hotel, excitedly said, “Can I go? I want to see him!”
Unfortunately
for many, only those given an invitation by the Consulate – and cleared by both
the Philippine and Hong Kong governments - could gain entry into the meeting
venue. All invitees were asked for their full name, HKID and passport numbers,
and mobile telephone numbers.
The
vetting is apparently so strict that about a week after the invitations had
been sent out, the names of guests who had been cleared were still not known.
“(The)
list is still being vetted, so no figures yet,” Quintin said, when asked how
many people were expected to attend the meeting.
He
also said they had yet to be informed on who would be accompanying the
president to the meeting.
Among
those hoping to take part in what could be their first dialogue with a sitting
president are members of militant Filipino community organization, United
Filipinos-Migrante Hong Kong.
Unifil
Secretary-General Eman Villanueva told The SUN that the Consulate had asked them
to submit the names of officers they wanted invited to the meeting, but they have
yet to receive word on whether they would actually be allowed to take part.
Just
the same, they had prepared a “migrants’ agenda” in hopes of having even just a
brief meeting with him. In the agenda are long-standing concerns such as the
high government fees and illegal exactions made by recruiters on OFWs, the
extension of the passport validity from five to 10 years, and the continuation
of peace talks between the government and the leftist National Democratic
Front.
But
while many are excited to come face to face with the President, who
overwhelmingly won the OFWs’ vote in last year’s national elections, some of
those invited, OFWs and residents alike, have turned down the invitation.
“I
cannot bear to see and hear him speak,” said one OFW, who said she was offended
by the President’s anti-women remarks and repeated cussing.
Another
invitee, a resident, said she “happily declined” the invitation “at baka
ikahiya ko pang Pilipino ako”.
President
Duterte will be in China for the two-day “Belt and Road Summit” which will be
attended by more than 1,000 delegates and government leaders from 28 countries.
