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Ulybja

By GING REYES, ABS-CBN North America News Bureau Chief and LENN ALMADIN-THORNHILL, New York Correspondent NEW YORK - Marichu Suarez Baoanan unassumingly and somewhat nervously entered the room filled with media and observers Wednesday afternoon at the office of the Asian American Legal Defense Fund in downtown Manhattan. After the preliminaries, Baoanan took the microphone, calmly introduced herself and told her story. This 39-year-old woman has accused former Philippine Ambassador to the United Nations Lauro Baja and his wife, Norma, of slavery, forced labor, trafficking, racketeering and eleven other charges in a civil case filed on June 24, 2008. In tears, Baoanan recounted her ordeal, ““I served the Bajas for 3 months, I cooked, I took care of the child, cleaned their really big house, did the laundry, ironed and did other tasks as a domestic worker. In return, they paid me with curses, insults, disrespect and 100 dollars.” The former househelper said the Baja couple lied to her and tricked her into paying 250 thousand pesos to come to America. She thought they would help her find work as a nurse, instead she said she was forced to work as a servant for three months under abusive conditions. When she reminded Mrs. Norma Baja about their agreement, she would allegedly curse her, “Everytime na sasabihin ko sa kanya yung napag-usapan namin, minumura niya ako palagi. 'Yun ang nagpasakit sa akin, sasabihin ko sa kanya, mumurahin niya ako, kaya talagang napakahirap ng sitwasyon ko doon.” The former maid said she was forced her to work for up to 18 hours a day, and was not allowed to leave the apartment. 'Ambassador did nothing' Sobbing, Baoanan said she even thought of committing suicide, “My life was miserable. They did not treat me like a person. I always thought about my family. The only reason I came here was to work and make money to support my family.” She arrived in New York in January of 2006. She said that she pleaded with Mrs. Norma Baja to buy her winter clothes and shoes, to no avail. “Nung dumating ako dito January, sobrang lamig! Ni jacket hindi n'ya ako binigyan, kahit na sapatos. Nakiusap ako sa kanya na bilhan mo man lang ako ng sapatos para proteksyon ko sa lamig, pero hindi niya ko binilhan,” Baoanan recalled. In another instance, Baoanan said Ambassador Baja did nothing, and just stared as his 5-year-old grandson hit her with a broom. “Isang beses, nakita ng ambassador na pinalo ako sa likod ng bata ng walis, pero wala siyang ginawa, hindi man lang niya sinaway yung bata.” In her complaint, Baoanan also claimed she was forced to sleep in the basement with only a sheet. In April of 2006, Baoanan escaped from the Bajas apartment through the help of Damayan, a non-profit organization that gives assistance to foreign domestic workers. Baoanan said she was not allowed to answer the Bajas telephone at home, but the one time that she did, she blurted out crying about her suffering to the Filipino caller. This good Samaritan contacted Damayan. The Manhattan-based group helped her flee her employers and gave her refuge. Damayan sought the help of the Asian American Legal Defense Fund , which filed a criminal case of human trafficking against the Bajas last year. After this was dismissed, the group filed a civil suit, seeking unpaid wages and damages from the Bajas. The AALDEF was also able to secure a T-visa for Baoanan, which made it possible for her husband and three children to join her in the US. The family was reunited last April. Staff attorney Ivy Suriyopas explained, “a T-visa allows a trafficking survivor to stay in the US for a period of time and eventually theyre eligible to apply for a green card.” A ploy vs deportation Bajas counsel, Atty. Salvador Tuy, denied Baoanans allegations of abuse and maltreatment, saying this was a ploy to avoid deportation. Tuy told the North America News Bureaus “Balitang America”: “She said it already. That is the only way she can get a T-visa. A T-visa allows a victim of human trafficking to stay in the US for three years, and if she wins this case, which she hopes she does, she will eventually be granted a permanent resident card, not only for her but her family as well.” Tuy also showed Balitang America a photo of a bundled-up Baoanan during winter, to dispute her claim that the Bajas refused to provide her winter clothes. The Bajas have 20 days to respond to the civil suit filed by Baoanan, but Atty. Tuy said he would ask for a 30-day extension. At the time he was interviewed, Tuy said he had not yet spoken to Baja to get his reaction to the statements made by his accuser today. At least two Filipino diplomats were present during Baoanans news conference, but they refused to issue any comment. Officials of the Philippine Mission to the UN and the Philippine Consulate General in New York have distanced themselves from Baja and his legal troubles. Sources said Baja became unpopular among his colleagues during the last few months of his tenure as Permanent Representative to the UN