Update | Philippine consulate voices concern over Regina Ip’s ‘unfortunate choice of words’ about Filipino maids
Ip says ‘no offence’ was intended in her comments about domestic helpers having affairs with their expatriate bosses
The Philippines consulate last night expressed its concern over the "unfortunate choice of words" by Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, who insisted she meant "no offence" with her comments about domestic helpers sleeping with expatriate bosses.
The pro-establishment lawmaker and Executive Council member sparked outrage on Thursday when, in an article in Ming Pao that was also published on her blog and Facebook page, she cited complaints she had received about Filipino domestic helpers seducing Western men.
"No offence was intended," Ip said. She said the public had misunderstood her article, which was intended to chastise international media for focusing on domestic helpers only as victims.
"I never [specified] who was 'seducing' whom in the article. The purpose of it was to show concern for those Filipino maids and pose a question as to whether they have been exploited."
The item has been taken off her Facebook page and blog.
The consulate said in its statement that while it was concerned about Ip's words, it "believes that this is not reflective of the general sentiments of the Hong Kong community at large".