The Department of Foreign Affairs has instructed the Philippine Embassy in the United States to include in its watch lists the names of 10 individuals from Bacolod City, who failed to return to the Philippines after the staging of the Senior League World Series in the US from 2003 to 2005.

They are controversial softball coach Reynaldo "Guy" Fuentes, Grace Zaragoza, Roselo Javellana, Teresita and Francis Fuentes, Christian Mae Claver, Antonio Kilayko, Emmanuel Declines, Edwin Abellana and Marilyn Parcia. DFA officer-in-charge Pedro Chan, in his letter to the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod dated Dec. 21, 2005, said that upon verification with the Philippine Consulate General in New York and San Francisco, the names of the 10 individuals did not appear in their respective consular databases of passport applicants and on the database for Assistance-to-Nationals.

Chan had been furnished by the SP members Resolution No. 935, Series of 2005 inquiring on the whereabouts of the 10 persons who accompanied the Little League in August 2003 to Kirkland Washington, and to Lower Sussex, Delaware in August 2004 and 2005.

Chan also informed the SP that for certain reasons, the 10 persons opted not to return to the country after the duration of their official business in the United States, subsequently making them "out-of-status aliens" in the U.S.

Councilor Ana Marie Palermo said the DFA told the SP members that they should secure an official order by the appropriate local court in Bacolod City if they want to request the DFA to cancel the Philippine passports of the 10 persons, thus compelling them to return to the country.

Palermo said she will call on the committees on education, finance, women and laws, that held a joint committee hearing last year on the complaint of the Little League softball team from the Paglaum Village National High School, to meet and make a decision on the case.

She said the softbelles are seeking justice after their trip to the US last year was aborted.

Instead of flying to Sussex County, Delaware, site of the 2005 Senior League World Series that started August 7, eight of the Paglaum softbelles, returned to Bacolod on Aug. 8 after staying in Manila since Aug. 1.

Only six of their officials, which include coach Reynaldo "Guy" Fuentes and PVNHS principal Benjamin Barredo, along with only three players related to the officials, were able to leave for the U.S. after securing US visas on Aug. 3. However, Barredo had returned to the country last year.*CGS

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