Briton placed on RP blacklist for maltreating Filipino wife

[beth18]

A British national is now on the Bureau of Immigration’s blacklist allegedly for inflicting physical and emotional abuse on his Filipino wife.

BI Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said John Paul Pembroke, 32, is barred from entering Philippine soil for allegedly maltreating and abusing his Filipina wife.

“No one deserves Filipino hospitality if he is a wife beater, more so if the victim is a Filipina,” Libanan said in a press statement Thursday.

Pembroke’s inclusion in the blacklist was a result of the request coming from the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Libanan said the DFA made the request after the Philippine Embassy in London informed the department about a complaint that Pembroke’s Filipina wife filed against her husband.

A foreign service circular was also issued by DFA Assistant Secretary Domingo Lucenario Jr. who sought Pembroke’s inclusion in the BI blacklist after his office received a report on the Briton’s case from Philippine Ambassador to London Edgardo Espiritu.

In his report, Espiritu suggested that the Briton be barred from entering the country to prevent him from subjecting other Filipino women to physical and verbal abuse.

The ambassador furnished the DFA a copy of a letter from the Berk***** Women’s Aid (BWA), a pro-women’s group in Great Britain, detailing the ordeal that the victim suffered in the hands of her estranged husband.

BWA quoted the victim’s narrative of how her husband subjected her to physical and emotional abuse, harassment and other acts of domestic violence on several occasions early this year.

She also said that even after they separated, Pembroke continued to harass and threaten her through voicemails and text messages.

[aromulus]

I don't think that anybody on this forum would do such a barbaric thing to his asawa.

Girls, don't suffer in silence, bring any mistreatment to the authorities attention and be safe.

Prevention is better than cure........

[joebloggs]

now why can't this gov do the same thing ...... oh human rights, courts and being in the European union

[ginapeterb]

This is an incredible report, whilst I have some sympathy with Mrs xxxx the Abused party in this matter, of course the report is hearsay, and even if such a letter was received from a women's group sent to the Ambassador at the London Embassy, the matter is the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom authorities, not the Philippine Government, who has no jurisdiction to act on any acts of alleged abuse which has taken place in our country.

Even if the matter is true, and one supposes it is, sometimes our authorities are reluctant to intervene, just in case the parties make up, whilst they may not, unless the victim has visible injuries that can be recorded it is very difficult to follow up such a case.

What I find most incredulous, is that after a hearsay report sent to the Ambassador Edgardo Espiritu, he should then see fit to take time out, to forward on a request to the DFA to have the said perpetrator barred from entering the Republic of Philippines.

I can see a matter of double standards here at the extreme, for example, I find it hard to believe, that Mr Peter Beckingham our Ambassador in Manila, would seek to inform the foreign office that a certain Miss xxx who arranged the death of her British husband should then be barred from coming back into the United Kingdom, or Miss XXX who had been abusing her husband a British national or holding him to ransom for his savings, and income, should then be disbarred and placed on a UK Border black list, simply because she had scammed or abused him in some way.

There have been numerous reports detailed in the national newspapers of the Philippines of Filipino spouses, who have either,

1. Had their husbands murdered.

2. Abused and mentally brought their husbands to the point of suicide and relieved them of their life savings.

I have never seen a report in our newspapers that our Embassy in the Philippines has sort to have a certain Filipina, barred from re-entry to the United Kingdom on account of an act that has taken place within the legal jurisdiction of that country.

Again, ok I have sympathy with this lady if the reports are true, naturally, no one knows the story, and in my experience, there are always 2 sides to a marital dispute, notwithstanding those Filipino wives who leave their husbands for a life of work and singleness within 12 months of arriving in the UK.

Unless one is a witness to this, and see's the full facts before them, its pretty hard to come to any judgement, I don't suppose Mr Pembroke has any desire now or in the future to go over to the Philippines and find a.n. other Filipina to vent on her his rage with Mrs xxxxx wife no 1.

So barring him from entering the Philippines might not be something he will loose any sleep over.

AGAIN, CLEARLY DOUBLE STANDARDS AT WORK ! i JUST WISH SOMETIMES THE PLAYING FIELD WAS LEVEL.

[andypaul]

Gotta say the BWA do sound like they hold huge infulence.

Is there an election on its way?

Lets hope any Phill rumoured to have broken the law in the UK or phill is barred on the say so of a one witness by the british authorities.

[joebloggs]

if there are police/doctors reports showing physical/mental violence why not ban them from your country. if they can ban people who insult immigration staff at the airport, why not ban people who beats one of your citizens up

[andypaul]

if there are police/doctors reports showing physical/mental violence why not ban them from your country. if they can ban people who insult immigration staff at the airport, why not ban people who beats one of your citizens up

But from how i read it. It just mentions a letter from the alleged victim.
i dont see any mention of the police british or pinoy.

[andypaul]

I shall now write a letter saying GMA insulted me, and see if the british ban her due to a letter.

Quite rightly they would ask for proof and possibly a judgement in a court before even considering such a thing.

[joebloggs]

But from how i read it. It just mentions a letter from the alleged victim.
i dont see any mention of the police british or pinoy.

that's not good enough , but police reports etc, BAN THEM

pitty the gov can't ban people, they can ban your non european spouse if your a brit, but if your a european living in the uk married to a non european, then the gov would have trouble banning them.

[aromulus]

but if your a european living in the uk married to a non european, then the gov would have trouble banning them.

[ginapeterb]

I think the matter here is one of culture, I was discussing this matter last night with my Gina, and I read aloud the details of this case to her, if you look at it, its all over the Filipino newspapers, its amazing how it has found its way into them.

When Filipino's are beaten, abused and have their passports confiscated by unscrupulous and vile Arabs from the middle east states, the story generally surfaces in the newspapers in the Philippines, take the recent arrival on GMA News of Pinoys who have been mis treated, and arrive back at NAIA to be greeted by PGMA or Senators.

I have always said this, if anyone is going to abuse Filipino's that right is generally reserved for the Filipino's themselves.

Andy Paul is quite right to bring our attention to the level of evidence required to have someone black listed from entering a country, taking into account that there has not been an allegation, that Mr Pembroke has committed an offence of which he has been charged and convicted in a court of law in the Philippines.

Don't be surprised if the Filipino way of dispensing summary justice is alien to our way of thinking, I say again, it is largely born out of a sub culture of them believing, quite rightly in many cases, that they are treated as the world's footballs, being kicked in one country after another, mistreated and abused because of their vulnerability and economic migration, and a burning desire to earn a living.

The British Criminal justice system would not allow a 3rd party hearsay letter to be used as an instrument of evidence, and such a letter would at best only be part of a portfolio of qualitative evidence, which is not sufficient to support a charge of ABH or GBH, which are the 2 main charges associated with violence against the person act.

To be criminalized and prevented from free movement on a British Passport, the holder of such a passport, would have to be deemed by the Home Secretary to be someone who represents a clear and present danger to the security of the United Kingdom.

Or if a Paedophile, his passport could be restricted to prevent travel based on a previous conviction and history of child abuse or younger women and children which the Home Secretary believes would constitute a real threat to those in other countries.

Again may I stress its a matter of differences in Criminal justice systems, where the evidenciary requirements of the British legal system are far greater to secure action by Government than it would appear the Philippine government, who I have to say, has extremely low grades of what constitutes real evidence.

For example, Estafa (Fraud) cases can be brought on the hearsay of one witness and again a verbal or written complaint, which can tie that person up in multiple court hearings for years, incurring expensive lawyers fees, and in some cases, large bail money for bonds to keep them out of prison, just on the say so, of one person, who happens to dislike that one.

Foreigners in the Philippines have been held on Mission warrants issued by the BOI to incarcerate and hold British nationals simply because they would not submit to being robbed or scammed by dishonest Filipino's.

Any British national visiting the Philippines, who falls foul of the wrong person can be detained on a mission warrant without the courts every knowing simply if he is found to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I would like to make forum members aware of this:

As a British national you can be detained indefinitely on mission warrant, until such times as the case goes before a judge, remember there are no juries in trials like this, and even though judges have ordered the release of such ones, they still languish in BOI detention centers without trail.

In our case of the alleged wife abuser, a letter from a feminist group, would never constitute evidence to support a charge of ABH against his wife, its doubtful without visible injuries whether GBH could ever reach a crown court, which a charge would demand.

The lesser charge of ABH would only be brought by Police if they had visited the complainant and found that she had visible injuries that could be documented and used as evidence to support the charge in a magistrates court.

Text messaging and voice mails used in a threatening manner are communications matters and whilst Police may investigate, they are unlikely to take the matter further, since to secure a conviction for such an offense requires an large amount of evidence, the Crown Prosecution service would normally drop such a case.

If the complainant is receiving or was receiving voice mails or text messages that our abusive, simply changing her number would have solved that problem without recourse to any other outside organization.

Whilst I have many criticisms of our country and its way of doing things, I am most proud of our criminal justice system, because at least in our country, you have a right to a trial by a jury of ones' peers, and it is a matter for the jury to decide a person's guilt based solely on the evidence, and not on the anecdotal evidence of the complainant, nor on the bias of one judge, that is what makes our system the envy of the world, and that the Police cannot sustain a charge on any citizen in this country, unless once having gathered the evidence and forwarding it to the CPS, the CPS deems that the case would more than likely secure a conviction in a court of law.

This system has been put in place to protect the rights of individuals against hearsay and it is a matter for the prosecution to prove their case beyond all reasonable doubt.

Back to Mr Pembroke, have the Police investigated this ? there is no mention ? has he been charged ? again we do not know ?

Has he been convicted ? the report makes no mention ? has he been charged in the Philippines ? again no mention ?

Do we know the full facts ? no none of us do !, in that case, under our system of Criminal justice, Philippine Ambassador Edgardo Espiritu has acted summarily in forwarding this man's name for blacklisting with the DFA in the Philippines.

And Summary justice is something we do not tolerate in our society, and thank God for our system of Criminal Justice, because if we cannot protect in law the worst in society, how will we ever be able to protect the innocent.

GOD BLESS THE UNITED KINGDOM !

[andypaul]

that's not good enough , but police reports etc, BAN THEM

pitty the gov can't ban people, they can ban your non european spouse if your a brit, but if your a european living in the uk married to a non european, then the gov would have trouble banning them.

When you say police reports do you mean the local police man who comes to all the weddings and is a family friend or do you mean a proper investigation which is reviewed in court and pass judgement on?

[angel1231]

maybe she nagggggggggggggggggggggggg tooooooooooo much....LOL

[Mrs.JMajor]

who you refering to......the one who started this thread is it? beth18,unfortunately i knew her,we met her in Baguio,and we stay on her house with hubby,i wonder if she still here in the Uk,becasue her visa was student ,first was visit visa and shes working in PI in DENR,so im a bit confussed,

[aromulus]

Guys try to open this link.
Thanks

You can't post links yet.....

[Mrs.JMajor]

I dont even understand why she needs to post like that if she is your friend Mrs. JMajor?! Try to check if shes telling the truth or else you will be the next victim of her. Carefull..

She is not my friend,its just so happen when hubby and i visit Baguio,she contact us through this forum and we met,thats all,first and last,she even let us visit her house,she had 1 daughter,so the last time i know from her is she start a thread saying she is in the UK again with a student visa,i know the b/f is from london is it ? how far you knw her then....are you refering the one who start a thread

[Stuartpauldavis]

Wow just reading back through various old posts here on the forum today and was very shocked by the case of David Scott upon reading that thread but in it's own way this is just as bad and in certain respects worse. Could not agree more strongly with everything Pete says within his post, certain points stand out from this such as there appears no mention of this guy having been arrested, charged or having been to prison ect, even having been spoken to by Police, now for all i know he could be as guilty as hell and rotting in prison as i write this but equally he may never have even been spoken to by Police regarding these allegations, fact is he could be guilty equally he maybe 100% innocent...guess none of us on here will ever know?, as there is no mention of Police involvement or any Court case-custodial sentance then i can only assume there has not been, equally as has been pointed out zero mention of any Hospital records of any injuries occured by the wife and so this just appears to centre upon the word of the individual concerened-even the letter that has been produced seemingly only upon the word of the individual without anything to back it up, now if that is so it is truely shocking that the Philippines Ambassador to the U.K should make such a decision and you would have to question both his judgement and objectivity in forwarding this file to the DFA in Manila, that is unless he knows something not mentioned in this report EG: the guy is in prison for said crimes ect...otherwise. What also is quiet scary is the possability and i hasten to add again as has already been pointed out that none of us here truely know the facts in this case, but having spoken to my Brother in Law who works for Home Office in Croyden in essance the only 2 real loopholes for a foriegn spouse to obtain ILR if the marriage breaksdown short of the 2 year qualifing period is either if he/she is widowed due to the UK spouse dying or if the victim of "domestic abuse" although this is not guarenteed to mean ILR is granted but it gives a chance...particularly when supporting letters are granted from feminist lobbying groups!. Now if said Filipina was truely the "victim" of domestic violence then she deserves her right to stay and the Ambassador did the correct thing in forwarding the case to the DFA however what if the husband is the victim in all this and the innocent party of suprious claims and lies?, makes you think right?...the fact is we simply don't know the facts in this case but the real issue is that based on the information contained here for the Ambassador to make the "judgement call" the way he did it would appear purely on the word and solely the word of the "victim" is absolutely shocking and unethical, Philippines justice don't you just love it. The only thing i can think is that if this guy is the inncent party in all this then surely he as Pete points out wouldn't particularly want to return to the Philippines anyway and im sure he must have a very strong legal case for defemation of character against his wife/ex and also the Women's group mentioned and quiet possibly the Philippines Embassy-Ambassador also although they may well be "covered" due to diplomatic immunity but oneway or another he must have a strong case IF he is innocent over these allegations, just imagine how he must feel seeing his name splashed all over the Philippines media like that if he is even aware at all!. As Pete said whilst things here in UK are by no means perfect thnk god we live in UK and British law that whilst not always fantastic at least would never allow such a case here to pass...innocent till proven guilty Ambassador?

[beth18]

I'm Sorry if offended you in any way but I only got this news from this link,

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/pinoy-mig...-filipino-wife

And you are barking at a wrong dog cos I am not the ex wife as you are reffering me. I am not married. if you want call or get in touch of ABS CBN who had made this news and if you open the link the author of this article will be found there I suppose.

And please no name calling specially if you are not sure who are to talking to. I got nothing to do with you, I dont know you.

I hope Admin will take note of this matter.

[Mrs.JMajor]

des291987
I contact beth with regard this matter......and we both laugh when she said that news is from ABSCBN and got nothing to do with her personal life.....
so shes here in the UK and she will graduate on August...

[Florge]

So... who's lying then? Oh my... just got a headache reading this!

[fred]

So... who's lying then? Oh my... just got a headache reading this!

Personally I would ALWAYS give the accused the benefit of the doubt where a Filipino/official is the one making accusations or complaints,especially when it involves the devil foreigner being blacklisted from entering this country because of hearsay from a so called spouse.( amongst other things).
Never argue your point here with anyone that is employed by or holds office within the P.I government as they will usually ask that the argument continue in the B.I lobby.
Forget about asking advice from any British Gov office about unfair treatment as they care even less.
Never believe what you read in a Filipino newspaper and you wont go far wrong.
Bahala ka!

Ingat,

Fred.