MISTAKEN IDENTITY ALMOST RESULTED IN LFETIME BAN:
Erwin Bautista was petitioned as “single” by his father, Ernesto. After waiting many long years, he finally went to the Embassy for his immigrant visa interview. Imagine his shock and surprise when the Consul confronted Erwin with a marriage contract, showing that he was married, and thus no longer eligible for a visa. Erwin pleaded his case, insisting he had never married. However, the marriage contract not only had Erwin’s name, but also the names of his parents, Ernesto and Junelia. What are the chances of two different people not only having the same name, but also both parent’s having the same names as well? Father Ernesto tried in vain to clear his son’s name, to no avail. He finally went to a taping of Citizen Pinoy and presented his case as an audience question. The next day, he retained Atty Gurfinkel, who was able to quickly prove to the Embassy that there were, in fact, two different Erwin Bautistas, and his client Erwin was still single. Erwin got his visa, and was able to join the rest of his family in the US. This case shows that it is not only important to be “right”, but knowing how to prove it. On their own, the Bautista family couldn’t properly prove Erwin’s innocence, and are grateful Atty. Gurfinkel was able to get the facts right, package and present the case well, to clear Erwin’s name.