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LITTLE LIE COSTS A FILIPINO 25 YEARS OF HIS LIFE
By Anne Stephanie D. Cruz
CLEARED OF FRAUD. Now living his life-long American Dream, Manolito
Siapno (right) with wife Cecilia (center) and son Julius (left),
after arriving in the U.S. after Atty. Gurfinkel helped them with
their fraud waiver.
HOW much damage can one small lie cause? For Manolito
Siapno and his family, it cost them 25 years of tormenting pain,
tears, hardships, and separation.
Manolito Siapno had dreamt of nothing but living
in America all his life. He was petitioned by his parents in 1979
as “single.” And although the waiting period was long,
he didn’t mind. It was just a matter of time until he would
be working in the land of milk and honey.
But love conquered all, and Manolito’s world
changed. He married the love of his life and thought that he could
get away with it, by immigrating as “single”, even
though he was “secretly married.” Manolito did not
disclose the marriage to the INS or the Embassy, for fear that
it would delay his petition.
At his visa interview in 1984, the Embassy discovered
Manolito’s “secret” marriage and his visa was
refused for fraud. Manolito’s world crashed, and everything
else stood still.
The Siapno family, albeit disappointed and frustrated,
tried again. They petitioned Manolito again, this time as a married
son in September 1988. Manolito
once more went through the whole process of waiting for years,
and hoping for an interview and an approval. This time, they hoped,
he would obtain a US visa, which was his passport to a better
future for him and his family.
He was wrong. In March 2003, during Manolito’s
interview on his parents’ 1988 petition, the Embassy took
into account Manolito’s fraud on his first visa application
(concealment of his marriage) and again refused his visa (Under
the law, fraud remains on a person’s record forever.)
Manolito needed to clear his name of that old misrepresentation
before his second visa application could be approved. The situation
appeared hopeless.
It had already been 25 years of a long and agonizing
wait, and he was not getting any younger. His American Dream was
getting dimmer and dimmer.
The Siapno family finally turned to Atty. Michael
J. Gurfinkel for help, after hearing about his many successes
in cases similar to Manolito’s.
Atty. Gurfinkel knew what to do. He prepared an
application for Fraud Waiver along with a convincing presentation
on why Manolito should be “forgiven” for his previous
mistake. He supported Manolito’s case with strong evidence,
including the extreme hardship his family would suffer if he were
banned for life from coming to America.
While waiting for a decision on his waiver, Manolito
admired Atty. Gurfinkel’s unwavering passion for his job,
and the brand of customer service extended to him by Atty. Gurfinkel’s
staff. He was kept up to date on the developments of his case.
It rekindled some hope.
Finally, Manolito’s fraud waiver was granted,
and with it, US visas were issued for him, his wife and son. It
took 25 years of waiting and the help of Atty. Gurfinkel to clear
Manolito’s little “white” lie.
“The long years of waiting, the uncertainty,
and living far away from my family finally had ended. 25 years
is a long time, but Atty. Gurfinkel made it possible for me to
achieve my childhood dream: coming to America and building a future
for me and my family. Without him, I would have lost all hope.
Sulit na sulit and ibinayad ko sa kanya. (I really got
my money’s worth),” Manolito shares.
For his part, Atty. Gurfinkel advises kababayans
who are in the same situation as Manolito to legalize their status
“legally.” If petitioned as single, they must arrive
in the U.S. as “single.” There is no such thing as
a “secret marriage.” Little white lies may not seem
like much, but it can cause irreparable damage that could cost
you and your family’s future.
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