It is a common belief that when your passport has received multiple variety of stamps, you have been to many places and it is easier to get approval for your visa applications. But doing so using your drawing talents will only land you in jail, as what a Filipino tourist from Batangas found out.
An unnamed Filipino woman made her first visit in Hong Kong and was returning to the Philippines with her family last Oct 28 when Hong Kong airport authorities found out that her passport indicated she had been to the city two times before. She was arrested and taken to Shatin Magistrates Court where she pleaded guilty offense of possession of a false instrument. The Court sentenced her to four months in jail.
Filipino tourists are often lured by unscrupulous agencies to obtain forged entry/exit immigration stamps in order to bolster their chances of obtaining tourist visa from certain embassies in Manila. Mere possession of a false instrument, however, is an offense under Section 75 of Hong Kong’s Crimes Ordinance and carries with it a maximum penalty of 3 years’ imprisonment.
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