‘Arrogant, heartless, rude’ consular officers

The United States consular officers in Manila are supposed to reflect the image of America as a just, kind and compassionate country. But the way some of them behave tells exactly the opposite of what the United States is known for. Let me prove my point.

My wife and I are American citizens of good standing. We have been Evangelical Christian missionaries to the Philippines for 26 years now. We are taking a few months off from our mission this June up to Nov. 17, 2013, to attend to some personal and church matters in the United States. For this trip, we want to bring along our soon-to-be adopted child Vida Gracia Agustin who is two years and five months old, so we can continue the bonding process that started on Dec. 29, 2010, her birthday, when her biological mother gave her to us. Vida’s mother is a destitute widow with seven children who cannot raise Vida due to extreme poverty.

Armed with an order from the court (where the adoption proceedings are in progress) and a clearance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (allowing Vida to travel to the United States), we confidently applied for Vida’s nonimmigrant visa. The petition was denied three times based on the flimsy reason that the child has no established “ties” in the Philippines to ensure her return.

The order of the adoption court clearly states that: “Petitioners are allowed to bring the child, Vida Gracia Agustin, to Los Angeles, California, United States of America on June 11, 2013 and enjoined to bring said child back to the Philippines on November 18, 2013 and show to this court written proof of compliance within (5) days from arrival of the child in this country.” We must comply with the order, otherwise we will be punished for contempt of court.

How would these consular officers feel if a proper order of a US court were not given due consideration by the Philippine consulate in the United States?

Other nonimmigrant visa applicants might also have noticed that the consular officers look stern and appear adversarial before the applicant? Can they not be amiable and polite? What is more disgusting is that the US consular office did not consider our track record: We sent 18 members of our Rondalla to the United States in October 2010. Not one of them overstayed there even for one day.

I love America. I love our Christian missionaries who risk their lives serving in a foreign land, like our friend Pastor David Guinter who was killed recently in Malaysia in the service of Jesus Christ. In our 40 years of life in the United States, we have only known loving, caring and fair-minded Americans.

Yes, America is the greatest nation in the world. Can the same be said of its consular officers in Manila? Arrogant, heartless and rude, these are the heartless ugly Americans who destroy the magnanimous image of the United States. They are a shame to America. They should be recalled home before they do more damage to the good image of the United States.

—ERMELO D. BIRON,

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