Maids of RP envoys in US should be properly briefed

MANILA, Philippines – American consular officers in the Philippines should thoroughly brief domestic helpers of Filipino diplomats assigned to the US before issuing visas. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) has made this recommendation amid reports of rampant maltreatment of maids in the US by foreign diplomats. Domestic helpers coming from the Philippines, Peru, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have not been getting proper guidance in US consular posts, according to July 29 report of the GAO, the policy-making arm of the US Senate. The GAO report comes weeks after a Filipino domestic helper Marichu Suarez Baoanan, aided by a US group, filed in New York a human trafficking and slavery case against Lauro Baja, former Philippine permanent representative to the United Nations. According to the GAO, its probe has so far identified 42 household workers with A-3 or G-5 visas who alleged that they had been abused by foreign diplomats with immunity from 2000 through 2008. The figure could be higher, however, could be higher. As the report noted: "The total number of alleged incidents since 2000 is likely higher for four reasons: household workers’ fear of contacting law enforcement, nongovernmental organizations’ protection of victim confidentiality, limited information on some cases handled by the US government, and federal agencies’ challenges identifying cases. For example, State has several offices that receive allegations of abuse by foreign diplomats, but no single office maintains information on all allegations." GAO said the Philippines tops the list of countries whose domestic helpers have been given the most number of visas at 1,775. The report said GAO officials have already met with consular officers and reviewed the A-3 and G-5 visa files at the US embassies in Peru, the Philippines, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. It said its review of employment contracts submitted at the four consular posts by A-3 and G-5 visa applicants showed that they often did not include the requirements such as a guarantee of the minimum or prevailing wage. GAO also found that officers at the four posts were unclear about or unfamiliar with certain aspects of the guidance. "Few of the officers were aware that they should inform A-3 and G-5 visa applicants of their rights under US law during their interview," the report said. To address the problem, the agency recommended that the US Secretary of State collect records on allegations of household worker abuse by foreign diplomats and to establish a system alerting consular officers to seek guidance before issuing an A-3 or G-5 visa to an individual applying to work for a foreign diplomat who may have abused workers. It also said that the State Department should implement a spot-check compliance with A-3 and G-5 visa policies and procedures. "GAO also recommends that the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security and the Attorney General outline a process for determining which specific techniques can be used when investigating foreign diplomats. State and the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security concurred with the recommendations addressed to them," the report said. GAO noted that the US government’s process for investigating alleged abuse of household workers by foreign diplomats is complicated by three factors. First, immunity can pose constraints for law enforcement agencies in collecting evidence. Second, the status of foreign diplomats can heighten their workers’ sense of vulnerability, causing the workers to fear cooperating with investigators. Third, the length of time it takes to obtain a legal opinion from State on the permissibility of using certain investigative techniques can hamper investigations. Although some techniques are clearly prohibited by international law, such as searching certain diplomats’ residences, the permissibility of others under international law is less clear, it said. “In advising on the use of investigative techniques, State considers legal and policy issues, such as reciprocity—assessing how US diplomats abroad might be affected by actions taken toward a foreign diplomat on US soil," it said. - GMANews.TV