Speech #920009052

Mr. President. on February 11. 1971. a young Filipino couple. Angelica and Apolinario Gregorlo. were deported from the United States to the Philippines. They left behind their two young sons. Lloyd and Lawrence. ages 2 and 1 respectively. both of whom were .born in the United States. Mr. and Mrs. Gregorio had been in this country for nearly 21/2 years. having arrived September 1. 1968. on 30day visitors visas. Throughout that period of time. they applied on innumerable occasions for an extension of their visas. The reasons advanced by the couple for these extensions"varied: The health of the children. the health and pregnancy of Mrs. Gregorio. Mrs. Gregorios application for third preference as a professional person. the acceptance of the couple by an educational institution. On October 9. 1970. only 3 days before the third of four deportation orders were to be carried out. the Gregorios filed suit in the Federal District Court in Boston alleging that since Mrs. Gregorio had married out of her class in violation of Philippine tradition the couple "will in the Republic of the Phillipinessicbe an object of socioeconomic persecutionwhich persecution is reasonably expected to visit substantial and irreparable harm and damage." Later. in speaking to the press. the couple alleged that they had violated Philippine marriage laws. and that if they were deported to the Philippines the penalty for the husband would be death. In the previous 2 years and 2 months of petitions to the Immigration Service and the Federal courts. the Gregorios had never cited possible physical harm of persecution as a reason for extension of their visitors visas. Nor did they ever file with the immigration authoritiesas was their righta petition under section 243(h) of the Immigration and Nationality Act which specifically provides for exceptions in cases of religious. racial. or political persecution. Philippine authorities when consulted by this office and appraised of the statements made by the Gregorios vehemently denied that the couple had violated any Philippine laws. They dismissed the charges that the couple was likely to encounter persecution in the Philippines as "ridiculous." With the cooperation of my staff. I made an indepth study of all available evidence. I conferred with the Immigration Service and studied the records of the Gregorio case from the time of their first application for visitors visas in 1968. I made a thorough study of the judicial record in the case. My colleague from Massachusetts . whom the Gregorios first approached for assistance. made all of his records in the case available to me.