Getting married, for us Filipinos especially, is an important thing which a lot of us feel pressured about after we reach a certain age because of societal norms and cultural values back home.
But in the case of overseas Filipino workers, if love finds them overseas and if they opt to get married the practical and Filipino way, the Philippine Embassy in Hong Kong can assist them with this service.
Bogus Marriage Syndicate Convicted in HK
In line with this, last February 10 (Sunday), the mastermind of a bogus marriage syndicate was convicted of conspiracy to falsify and corrupt the course of justice, as shared in a report by news.gov.hk.
An immigration Department operation conducted in March 2017 neutralized the crime syndicate.
Thirty-seven people in total, which include Hong Kong residents, domestic helpers, and Mainland residents, along with the 55-year old mastermind, have been arrested.
Out of this number, fifteen were convicted of conspiracy to defraud, and eleven of them were sentenced of imprisonment for 10 to 18 months.
The mastermind, though, was charged of four counts of conspiracy to defraud and one count of perverting the course of justice, and will be sentenced on February 28.
As of this time, the operation is still on-going and more people may be arrested and prosecuted in the course of the investigation.
The department also shared that it will leave no stones unturned in combating bogus marriages along with other related illicit activities.
As per the law, anyone who commits the offence of conspiracy to defraud is liable to a maximum penalty of 14 years imprisonment.
This should let residents and the general public know that availing marriage services must always be legally authorized by the law to make the marriage certificate lawful and valid as a document required for work or for travel anywhere in the world.