Jarque wants DFA to file diplomatic protest

Retired Army brigadier general Raymundo Jarque has asked the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to file a diplomatic protest against the United States for the alleged harsh treatment he received when he traveled to Dallas, Texas last week.

In a letter to Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, Jarque urged the DFA to protest the "undignified, unjust and harsh treatment" that he and his wife Zenia received from the US authorities, who labeled him a terrorist. He and his wife were sent back to the Philippines a day later.

Jarque also complained about the lack of assistance from the Philippine embassy in Washington and the consulate in Los Angeles when they were detained upon arriving at the Dallas International Airport last Tuesday.

He said he and his wife were detained, subjected to intense interrogation by US Immigration and Federal Bureau of Investigation officials and held inside a jail during their brief stay in the US.

Jarque was denied entry into the US for allegedly being a member of the National Democratic Front (NDF), which the US State Department recognizes as a foreign terrorist organization.

Jarque added he and his wife were denied legal representation while in detention and were even deprived of food.

He claimed the questioning lasted for eight to 10 hours at the Dallas airport, after which they were brought to the Euless City jail where they were kept in separate cells despite his wife’s health condition. Mrs. Jarque has chronic renal failure, with only 20 percent of her kidneys still functioning.

It was only the following day that Jarque was allowed to telephone his daughter, Melissa, who lives in Irving, Texas, to tell her about what happened.

The couple were visited by their daughter, her husband and their grandchildren but were barred from having any physical contact with their family. Jarque said they had to communicate through intercoms since they were separated by sealed glass windows.

He said they were officially detained at the Euless City jail as inmates and treated like common criminals.

Jarque’s daughter got in touch with the Philippine embassy in Washington DC. She was able to speak with Consul General Jocelyn Garcia who reportedly told her that they could not provide any assistance since they were under US immigration laws.

Jarque said Garcia told his daughter that "the issue is not a national concern, it’s just your parents’ embarrassment."

The Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles did call up Jarque and provided the name and number of a lawyer in Texas, as reported by the DFA last week.

"Sadly, there was no attempt to send an embassy official or staff who could come to our aid or look after our welfare," Jarque said.

He said all of the arrangements for their return to the Philippines were made by their daughter, including the airfare for the American Airlines and Korean Airlines flights that brought them back to the Philippines.