Police cowed by abusive, arrogant diplomat?

Inquirer columnist Ramon Tulfo reported on an “Ugly American.”

(Inquirer, 1/10/12) Early this month, an abusive Korean-American, Dean Chang, a “second secretary” (or a member of the diplomatic staff) of the US Embassy in the Philippines, while driving to a Korean restaurant, almost bumped a young Filipino woman. Because of this, he vituperated her and challenged her uncle to a fistfight. When confronted by responding police officers, Chang refused to show his “diplomatic ID” and just asked the police to check on his identity with a phone number he himself gave to the police.

Tulfo saw a bogus US diplomat. An authentic diplomat, American or not, would readily produce his diplomatic ID anytime upon request by proper authorities. He is duty-bound to respect local laws. He knows that diplomatic immunity attaches only to acts of an envoy in the course of the performance of his official functions. He is aware that diplomatic privileges would be lost if abused. In extreme circumstances, the diplomat may be declared persona non grata and sent back home.

With the stickers on the car he was driving, “diplomat” Chang could not even be a “US serviceman.” The police officers should have taken him to a judge before whom Chang would be obliged to prove whether he was a real American diplomat and not a fake.

But the police failed to do their  duty, fearing, no doubt, that if Chang were proven to be a real diplomat, they would have a problem—not with the US Embassy but with their own superiors—for disregarding a claim to “diplomat immunity,” and not following a bias honed by a deep-seated “colonial mentality.” Recall that not too long ago, any Caucasian, especially American, need not produce any ID to identify himself. His raw complexion or aquiline nose was enough to intimidate police, politician or anybody else—and get away with some misdeeds. Things have not changed much, indeed.

—NELSON D. LAVIÑA,

retired ambassador,

[email protected]