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A
HAPPY NOTE FOR REGINE VELASQUEZ
by Anne Stephanie Cruz
IT'S all over town: Regine Velasquez got her US
visa back.
This means she's no longer banned from setting foot
in US soil and could once again do concert tours and promotions
in major cities. With all the attention she's getting, less sympathetic
individuals are probably shrugging their shoulders and saying
"big deal, more concerts abroad just means more money for
her". There's a grain for truth to that, of course. But according
to Regine, the material gains of getting back her US visa is the
farthest thing from her and her family's minds.
The long, painful ordeal that followed her unfortunate
experience at the US Embassy 10 months ago is one she can never
forget. Not just because it put a damper on her best-laid plans
for a month-long, five-city tour in the US, but because it caused
people to doubt her integrity as a person. "I feel
so relieved that it's finally over. Talagang nakahinga ako ng
maluwag dahil nabunutan ako ng tinik," said Regine in an
interview a day after she, her sister Cacai, and personal manager
Patty, walked out of the Embassy with huge smiles on their faces
and US visas in their passports. According to Regine, this development
cleared the air of nasty rumors pestering the Velasquez family
since July 2000, where they were wrongfully accused by the public
of "smuggling" Filipinos into America for money.
"Apart from the realization that I let a wrong
thing happen because of my failure to pay attention to details,
I felt really bad that people began to accuse me and my family,
particularly my Dad, of doing something so low. That really hurt
because I built my career and reputation carefully for the past
15 years. Modesty aside, I know I can earn as much money as I
want by singing," Regine explains. But what really happened?
Now that's it all water under the bridge, the real story behind
can be told. On July 6, 2000 sisters Regine and Cacai Velasquez,
as well as her personal manager Patty Mayoralgo, went to the US
Embassy to secure entertainer visas for Regine's month-long gig
in five major cities.
Everything was set. Promotions already started.
The whole entourage was complete. But the Embassy not only denied
the three their visas, they were also permanently banned for life
for attempting to "smuggle" an alien into America. Regine
was caught unaware, but there was nothing she could do. The stamp
in her passport barred her from ever setting foot in US soil as
long as she lives because of an unintentional fib during her interview
at the Embassy.
"For that tour, the concert producers told
us that they were including a "wardrobe assistant,"
in the entourage. Thinking nothing of it, I let it pass. IÕm just
like that, I am more concerned with my music and promoting sales
and tickets. But when I was asked at the Embassy how long I knew
the person, and I really didnÕt know her at all, I just said Ōthree
yearsÕ out of nervousness and for lack of anything better to say,
" Regine recounted. But that one, unplanned lie had rippling
consequences. As it turned out, the wardrobe assistant admitted
to the Embassy during her interview, that once she arrived in
America, she intended to remain in the US and would be proceeding
to California to work as personal secretary for one of the producers.
Because this person had not previously worked with
Regine as a wardrobe assistant like she told the Embassy, Regine,
her sister, and Patty, were denied their visas under Section 212(a)(6)(E)
of the Immigration and Nationality Act, for knowingly assisting,
aiding and abetting "any other alien to enter or to try to
enter the United States in violation of law." "It was
my mistake and I admit it. I shouldnÕt have lied just because
I did not know how to respond to the question. I really could
not believe that this had happened. I was worried about my producers
in the US who lost money out of this and I was concerned about
what people were saying about me" Regine said. At this point,
Regine's dream bubble simply burst. She became depressed and overly
concerned about her case. Patty recounts how the singer holed
up in her room for weeks after the incident. "She did not
want to go out, she wouldnÕt speak to anyone. She just stayed
there in her room feeling depressed. Her family was so concerned,"
Patty said.
But while the 31-year-old Bulacan lass was wallowing
in sadness, numerous people tried to toss her a lifeline. Many
suggested that Regine question the ConsulÕs decision or sue the
Embassy, which would have been a futile exercise since US laws
do not allow any challenge to the decisions handed down by Consuls.
Others promised to sneak through the backdoor and get Regine her
visa through their "connections". "After
two months, nothing worked. Politicians, people with connections
didnÕt work. I realized that Filipinos believe in this system
so much, but it doesnÕt cut in the real world, especially in the
US Embassy. After that, I thought my case was impossible, I mean
it was a lifetime ban. But then Boss Vic del Rosario advised me
to go to Atty. Michael Gurfinkel, who he said, was the best lawyer
around", Regine added. The immigration lawyer, who was in
Europe at that time, knew Regine's case was impossible but welcomed
the challenge. He cautioned her though against having too many
people mixing in her case.
"Too many cooks spoil the broth," Gurfinkel
told the singer, noting that he wanted to implement his own strategies
and didn't want other people coming in with conflicting advice
or suggestions. "He did not promise me anything. He was very
sincere and told me he would work as hard as he canon my case,
but it would take time. But then, after hearing about his impressive
work in impossible cases like mine, that was good enough for me,"
added Regine.
"I told her there is no reversing the Embassy's
ban for alien smuggling. Once stamped there, itÕs there forever.
But there was a possibility of getting a waiver on that ban under
Section 212(d)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of the
USA," Gurfinkel explained. A few months after Gurfinkel accepted
the case, Regine walked out of the US Embassy with a B-1 visa.
This means she could now travel to the US on official business.
She could talk to producers and plan concerts, which she admitted
missing very much during her year-long hiatus. All things said
and done, Regine said she emerged a better and more matured person
after the tragedy. She also asked her fellow artists to learn
from her mistakes and be wary of people who might want to try
to take advantage of them. "I learned my lesson the hard
way. Now I know that I must be responsible for everything and
not just be content with people doing things for me. But if there
was one good thing that came out of all of these, it's that I
am still blessed to have people who truly care for me. And I am
glad that the people I expected to stay beside me were the ones
who really did," Regine muses.
Atty. Gurfinkel, on the other hand, reminded everyone
that telling a lie during visa interviews, no matter how small,
is of no help. He stressed that Regine's case is an example of
how serious the penalties for fraud are, and that the US Embassy
really means business in implementing its immigration laws.
Regine said she was granted a waiver on the Embassy ban not because
of who she is, but because she was truly sorry and accepted responsibility
for her actions. It helped too, that she did not go public about
the case and preached innocence, when the truth is, the US Embassy
was just doing it's job. The lawyer, who has helped numerous celebrities
get entertainer visas, and some of them, American citizenships,
said he is pleased to have been able to help Regine revive her
career in the US.
"I can't thank him [Gurfinkel] for what he
has done for me and my family. I guess the old saying is true
that you fail to appreciate the value of things until it's taken
away from you. In my case, my US visa," Regine said, adding
she is unusually excited about her forthcoming trip to America
in June. Apart from shoes and clothing stores, Regine says she
loves autumn in New York City-- the light breeze and the dazzling
display of natureÕs colors makes her forget the hustle and bustle
of life. She says she never liked stifling air or cramped spaces.
There, she can be who she
is, a simple girl with an uncomplicated life; a songbird who longs
to spread her wings and fly without territorial boundaries to
worry about.
(By Anne Stephanie Cruiz, Today Newspaper, May
20, 2001)
More
press release on Regine's case
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