It was rather unfair for former Ambassador Larry Baja to be pilloried in the headlines due to accusations from a former maid that he was involved in human trafficking and forced labor. This is the kind of publicity no one wants to have especially when allegations have yet to be proven, and from entities whose motives are highly suspect. In this country, it is so easy for one’s reputation to be destroyed. What took years to build up can be shattered in a moment through unfounded accusations coupled with malicious hints and whispers as the rumor mill goes overdrive. As it is, the news tainted the reputation of a highly respected man whose stint as Ambassador to the United Nations was described by many as a time reminiscent of the days when Carlos P. Romulo proudly distinguished himself as our Ambassador to the UN.
Sadly, anybody can just be accused of anything. Unfortunately, some vicious Filipinos have a tendency to believe the worst even without proof, having already concluded that a person is guilty. Some people also feel secret satisfaction at others’ suffering or misery – an attitude described by Germans as “schadenfreude.” Isn’t there such a thing as judging a person to be guilty only when it is proven “beyond reasonable doubt”?
I strongly suspect this woman filed the case in a desperate move to prolong her stay in the United States. People who know Larry Baja don’t believe he could do such things. More likely, the Bajas were taken advantage of by the woman to obtain a US visa, who then decided to become a “TNT” (tago ng tago) knowing she will have to go back to the Philippines when Baja’s term as UN Ambassador ends.
I remember a similar case 20 years ago involving a personal friend of mine who had an E-2 visa, or what is known as a Treaty Investor visa, who brought in a maid legally to the US. After some time, the maid wanted to work for another person – who instigated her to file a case against her former employer, making it appear she was abused and treated badly. The case caused so much anguish and humiliation on the part of my friend but in the end, the US courts sustained his argument and deported the maid. But the incident consequently made it more difficult even for legitimate Filipino businessmen to get a US visa.
The publicity generated by the Baja issue is very negative not only for the poor Ambassador but for Filipinos in general because it could affect the visa application of others, especially first-time applicants, going to the US for legitimate purposes. It’s a well-known fact that Filipinos will go to great lengths, pay enormous sums and resort to shenanigans to obtain a US visa. In fact, Non-Immigrant Visa chief Karen Christensen told me during one of the US Embassy functions that she’s very concerned about recruiters who charge so much – as high as $5,000 processing fee – to those who wish to obtain a US work permit. This should be cause for concern not only for US but Filipino authorities. But many Filipinos are desperate to get a visa and they’re willing to pay any amount – obviously driven by economic issues.
There are a lot of TNTs in the US but after 9-11, their numbers are being curtailed. The Department of Homeland Security is also contemplating stricter regulations even for those coming from “visa waiver countries” whose nationals do not need a visa to enter the US. There are 27 countries in the US visa waiver list – including Japan, Singapore and Brunei – with Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic soon to join this privileged list. The Philippines? Probably not in a million years! The FBI is also coming out with a proposal that anyone can be investigated on suspicion of being a terrorist or connected with terrorist groups, or is overstaying. Besides which, if you overstay even one minute after your visa deadline, you can be deported automatically and your visa revoked. And then there are those Filipinos in the US who make a living ratting on Pinoy TNTs in exchange for a few “pieces of silver.”
There have also been publicized cases of Filipinos attempting to obtain a visa through fraud, like the staff of this popular singer-actress. The sad part is that even the singer-actress herself and her crew, who were slated to perform a series of concerts in the US, had their visa applications denied. And do we still wonder why it’s so hard for Filipinos to get a US visa? Unless these practices are done away with, it will be more and more difficult to obtain a visa. Negative publicity from the likes of Michael Ray Aquino and Leandro Aragoncillo have also resulted in the cancellation of visas for people like former Congressman Gilbert Remulla who may have received group emails from Aragoncillo, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for stealing classified documents from the US government.
Even Philippine diplomatic passports are usually ignored by US Immigration authorities. In fact, when you brandish a diplomatic passport, chances are Immigration authorities become even more suspicious. Remember what happened to former Senate president Franklin Drilon in 2002 who was subjected to a security search even though he had a diplomatic passport? Well of course Frank can now laugh about it now but at the time, it wasn’t funny at all that a senator was subjected to such a treatment. The joke going around then was Frank didn’t want to remove his shoes because he had a hole in his sock.
One lesson from this Baja brouhaha is that diplomats must thoroughly screen the people they’re bringing to the US as employees, because this kind of publicity not only affects our standing before the diplomatic world but jeopardizes the chances of ordinary Filipinos legitimately applying for a US visa.
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