DEFEND, SERVE, EDUCATE Reinforcing FALDEF's Role in the Fil-Am Community: Asian Journal

As reported by Momar G. Visaya, Asian Journal

“In this age of darkness, there are two ways of spreading light. You may either be a candle, or the mirror that reflects its light.” - Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino Jr.

Guided by this powerful statement written by former Philippine senator Benigno Aquino Jr. while he was in prison, a group of Filipino-American lawyers have banded together to be both - candle and mirror - in order to be of service to the community.

The group formed the Filipino American Legal Defense and Education Fund (FALDEF), a non-profit organization that provides pro-bono legal services to immigrants in distress due to heir origin, status and financial situation. After collectively working on a case involving Filipino immigrants suffering injustices, they decided to create an organization that was dedicated to serving the migrant community.

“The vision was that this was going to be the first ever legal defense fund that will not only have lawyers as active members of the board, but also non-lawyers. Of the 15 original members, ten are not lawyers, they are community leaders. The idea was for FALDEF to always be in service to the community,” said JT Mallonga, FALDEF President.

Since its founding back in 2008, FALDEF has successfully helped Filipinos. Actively collaborating with the Philippine Consulate General in New York and the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), FALDEF has been able to take on cases throughout the United States.

2012 was a banner year for FALDEF.

The group was able to successfully close a deportation case in Texas. John Quidilla was picked up by ICE on his way to classes and detained just a few months shy of his college graduation. His mother found FALDEF by chance and contacted them immediately.

“We are proud to say that we made every effort to help this young man whose “American Dream” was to graduate from college and support his family-a dream that has successfully been fulfilled,” Mallonga added.

FALDEF also assisted the Regional Public Defender’s Office in Texas with a case involving Gabriel Hall, a Filipino adoptee on death row. Officers of FALDEF flew to the island of Cebu in the Philippines to help with background research.

Early in its inception, FALDEF officers helped Dr. Pedro Servano and his wife Salvacion, who were then both set to be deported. After consultations with several lawyers, he was told his case was hopeless. They were introduces to FALDEF through the Filipino community in Philadelphia and NaFFAA. FALDEF lawyers were able to stop his deportation and are now in the process of assisting him and his wife on obtaining status.

The Gulfin couple was detained with their son Miguel for six months in a detention center in New Jersey. FALDEF took on their case and successfully got them out of detention. Their deportation was stopped.

“We have very strong ties with the consulate. Most victims of legal injustice here are Filipino nationals.  We work with the NAACP legal defense fund, AALDEF, the 37-year old NYIC, an advocacy group,” Mallonga shared.

“When we founded FALDEF three years ago, we provided timely access to pro-bono legal services to the immigrant sector. We sought to empower them so that they could achieve their full potential as productive contributors to their families and communities. Bound by a common desire to help one of the currently most vulnerable groups in our society, volunteers from both legal and non-legal professions have devoted their time and efforts to extend relevant assistance where they are most needed,” he added.

Now, FALDEF is not just composed of lawyers, but community leaders such as Dr. Angie Cruz, author Jen Furer and documentary film director Diane Paragas.

Having gone through a tumultuous relationship with lawyers, Furer said that it is a welcome change now that she is working with a group of lawyers who are actually able to help those in need.

“I wish I knew back then what I know now,” Furer said.

The organization envisions a vibrant Filipino American community whose members can freely share their knowledge, talents and resources to fully advance the welfare of their family and society without fear of unjust treatment due to their heritage.

And this is what Paragas, a filmmaker wants to achieve.

The director is working on her first narrative feature film called Yellow Rose. The story is loosely based on her life growing up as the only Filipina-American in her small Texas town. After 10 years of developing this project, Diane felt that it was time to tell her story, not only for herself but for the Filipino-American community.

“If I saw this film when I was that troubled 15-year old, it would have changed my life as I know it will change the life of so many people who feel their voices are never heard,” Paragas said.

Indeed, FALDEF is a community undertaking, a collaborative effort of community leaders wanting to share their years of experience in order to help out kababayans.

(www.asianjournal.com)(NYNJ Mag February 22, 2013 pg.2)
Click HERE to view the online edition of the Asian Journal, Feb 20, 2013 

A Night of Hope: Friday, March 1, 2013

The National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) and US Pinoys 4 Good Governance (USP4GG) present "A Night of Hope", a charity reception on behalf of the Filipino American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc. (FALDEF) on Friday, March 1, 2013 at the residence of Consul General Mario de Leon, Jr.

 

The Filipino American Legal Defense and Education Fund (FALDEF) is a registered 501 (c)(3) not-for profit organization that provides pro-bono legal services to Immigrants in distress due to their origin, status and financial situation. FALDEF was founded in 2008 by a group of lawyers, professionals and community leaders working towards the same cause. After collectively working on a case involving Filipino Immigrants, suffering injustices, they decided to create an organization that was dedicated to serving the migrant community, in particular the Filipino Migrant Community.

 

(Victory Bolden, Sanford Rubenstein, Diane Paragas)

 Attorney Victor Bolden, Corporation Counsel of the City of New Haven, Connecticut is the evening's special guest speaker. An expert and advocate of civil rights, when Bolden chose to begin his post as New Haven's acting corporation counsel on Rev. Martin Luther

King, Jr.'s birthday, he said:

“A day of significance ... a day of new possibilities."

As Corporation Counsel, Bolden serves as the chief legal advisor of and the attorney for the City and all City officers and departments in matters relating to their official duties. Bolden was formerly General Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund. He served on the Counsel with the law firm of Wiggin and Dana LLP in New Haven, Connecticut. He also served as a Karpatkin Fellow and Staff Attorney at the ACLU, from1989-1994. Bolden completed his undergraduate studies, Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Columbia University. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1989.

 Mr. Bolden has been a supporter of the Filipino-American community, even prior to the

actual incorporation of FALDEF. When the community needed help in defending 10 Filipino nurses who were wrongly sued, Bolden graciously offered the legal services of NAACP-LDF.

 

 

 

Attorney Sanford A. Rubenstein, senior partner at the Brooklyn law firm of Rubenstein & Rynecki, is one of the evening's guest speakers. He is one of New York's most sought after advocates for victim's rights in personal injury and civic rights matters. Described by the Melvin M. Belli Society of the American Trial Lawyers Association as one of the Nation's 25 top trial lawyers, described by New York Post's Page Six as "a high powered personal injury lawyer" and a "famed attorney" by the New York Daily News.

Rubenstein's career has been punctuated by high profile cases in which he represented victims in many tragic occurrences in New York City.

Mr. Rubenstein appears frequently on national and local T.V. news advocating for victims rights. He has appeared as a legal analyst on CNN, MSNBC and Fox News. Mr. Rubenstein has lectured and participated in panels for the New York Sate Trial Lawyers, The Harvard Law School Criminal Justice Institute, Brooklyn Law School and the Melvin M. Belli Society of the American Trial Lawyers Association.

Mr. Rubenstein is also an author of a new book entitled, "The Outrageous Rubenstein" , in which he writes about his experience as a media savvy trial lawyer fighting for justice and change.

The evening also features the premiere of a short documentary film by Diane Paragas.

Over the course of the last three months Ms. Paragas has been documenting candid interviews from FALDEF clients and Board Members. What started out as a public service announcement, has turned into a short documentary.

 

 

Ms. Diane Paragas is an award-winning documentary film director and commercial director.  Her films have appeared on Showtime, BET, Discovery, MTV, Bravo and PBS. . In 2012, Paragas produced and directed the feature documentary, "Brooklyn Boheme", which premiered in February on SHOWTIME networks and features Spike Lee, Chris Rock, to name a few. "Brooklyn Boheme" recently won Outstanding TV Documentary at the Black Reel awards.

 

Ms. Paragas is also the founder and owner of NYC based Civilian Studios. Ms. Paragas is a supporter of FALDEF and has lent her talent by offering to do a short documentary about the organization. She is currently working on her first feature film Yellow Rose, a film loosely based on her life growing up as the only Filipina-American in her small Texas town. For details visit www.yellowrosefilm.com .

 

"A Night of Hope" charity reception begins at 6:30pm and ends at 9:00 p.m. A suggested donation of two hundred dollars,  made out to "FALDEF", will be appreciated and accepted at the door, by mail or online. The event has limited seating and RSVP is required by February 20, 2013. For details please email hope@faldef.org or visit the website at www.faldef.org.

 

 

(FALDEF directors with Hon. Judge Lorna G. Schofield)

 

FALDEF is also hosting a press club meet and greet event with Hon. Judge Lorna G. Schofield, the first Filipino-American in the history of the United States to serve as an Article III federal judge.

RELATED LINKS: GMA Network.com International
                                 Asian Journal:  NaFFAA and USP4GG present "A Night of Hope"

 



DACA approved through PATH for DREAMS initiative

"The PATH for DREAMS program at the Philippine Consulate helped me in my application process. FALDEF was definitely a great choice in helping me fill out my application forms for DACA.

I'm very blessed to have found an organization that not only provides pro bono services to

assist me in my situation but also a place where the officers are very understanding, helpful, 

friendly, and supportive. Thank you for the great services that you consistently and graciously 

provide for the people in need. I would recommend your services to anyone who needs it." ~ S. M.

FALDEF vows to help root out human trafficking : Filipino Reporter

      

Saturday, 02 February 2013 17:10

Written by Edmund M. Silvestre                  

 

J.T. Mallonga, Esq. (standing) addresses the Fil-Am media at the Philippine Consulate Monday. With him in photo are (from left) Dr. Angie Cruz, Diane Paragas, Emerito Salud and Consul General Mario de Leon, Jr.  (Filipino Reporter photo)
 

The Filipino American Legal Defense and Education Fund (FALDEF) has officially partnered with the Philippine Consulate General in New York and the United States Embassy in Manila to nip in the bud the rising trend of alleged trafficking of Filipinos into the U.S. by setting sights on the “source” of the problem.

In its first ever press conference since its inception in 2009, FALDEF president J.T. Mallonga, Esq. said the biggest export of the Philippines to the world is manpower, and the issue of trafficking and other forms of labor abuse usually originate back home.

“We intend to set up a legal defense fund to prosecute cases from the source,” said Mallonga, announcing the creation of a Philippine Legal Defense and Education Fund (PHILDEF) in Manila.

The idea of PHILDEF was approved by U.S. ambassador to the Philippines Harry K. Thomas and will be formalized during a special reception to be hosted by Thomas himself for FALDEF officials at the embassy in Manila this Feb. 27.
Mallonga said the U.S. Embassy will play a major role in finding an end to the problem since all visas used by Filipinos to legally enter the U.S. are issued by the embassy.

“We may have strong partnership with all the Philippine consulates in the U.S. and we may have a strong legal representation in the Philippines (through PHILDEF), but without the U.S. Embassy helping us put a stop to this, by blacklisting the agencies involved in trafficking, then all of the efforts will go to waste,” Mallonga noted.

In its upcoming meeting with Thomas in Manila, FALDEF is hoping to seek an audience with representatives of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to obtain funding for PHILDEF.

Mallonga said assistance from USAID will give PHILDEF the proper logistics to bring the guilty parties to justice.
USAID is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid to provide economic, development and humanitarian assistance to people overseas struggling to make a better life in a free and democratic country, and in support of the foreign policy goals of the U.S.

USAID has been giving millions of dollars to various non-government agencies in the Philippines, but none of those NGOs or any other entity go after the perpetrators of trafficking and bring them to justice, Mallonga noted.
Aside from trafficking and labor-related matters, PHILDEF can also help look at cases of Filipino workers facing the death penalty overseas, particularly in China and the Middle East.

Consul General Mario de Leon, Jr. said the Philippine Consulate’s team up with FALDEF is the “first public-private partnership to assist our nationals.”

“We have broadened and deepened our relationship with FALDEF,” said de Leon, as he cited FALDEF’s solid track record in helping numerous Filipino nationals in distress.

Aside from stopping the deportation of several Filipinos and solving immigration-related matters, FALDEF is also helping save from the death row two Filipino nationals in Texas.

De Leon will host FALDEF’s dinner fund-raiser on March 1 at the consul general’s official residence on 63rd Street in Manhattan, in cooperation with the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) and the US Pinoys for Good Governance (USP4GG).