Talking with Dr. Pedro Servano of Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania nowadays is like chatting with a Manny Pacquiao bettor considerably relieved of anxiety.
Although Dr. Servano and his wife, Salvacion, have not yet won their fight of nearly two decades to remain in the United States, the Filipino physician sounded very optimistic on the impending outcome of the case in a recent phone interview with FilAm Star.
Servano conceded that deferred action on their deportation still stays at press time. But the bigger development is that the same deferred action has allowed them to go through the legal channel. More important, their natural-born children – who, in the course of awaiting decision on the case, have grown to be fine adults -- may now use their eligibility to file a petition in their parents’ behalf.
This is a breakthrough for Servano, who has been practicing family medicine for nearly 15 years, and attends to over 2,000 patients in Selinsgrove, a rural area just outside of Harrisburg in the keystone state.
Technically, they still face the grim prospect of deportation by virtue of a final order handed down in 1992, notwithstanding the 25 years they have lived as tax-paying residents of the United States.
The deportation order came about after they were charged of misrepresenting their marital status on their immigration applications filed in 1980.
To recap, the respective mothers of Pedro and Salvacion, both U.S. permanent residents at the time, filed petitions for their children as single individuals in 1978. In 1980, however, the ‘madly-in-love’ couple eloped in the Philippines while their petitions were still pending.
Oblivious of the repercussions they were to face later, Salvacion arrived in the U.S. in 1982, with Pedro following two years later. That same year, he also passed his medical board examinations and started his residency here. Thereafter, the couple raised a family, with all the children U.S.-born, and still with no hint of gloomy things to come.
With their little children in tow, the Servanos moved to San Diego in 1990, where they applied for naturalization. That was when the discrepancy regarding their marital status was first discovered, and a serious violation of immigration laws was noted on their record.
Because of this, the couple reported for a hearing in 1992, Judge Robert Barret presiding, found them both deportable. A subsequent review petition filed by their lawyer was denied in 2000 after the Board of Immigration Review affirmed Judge Barrett's decision. A motion for a stay of deportation with the 9th Circuit Courts in California was subsequently denied in 2001.
A Final Order for Removal from the Department of Homeland Security division, Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE), was served the Servanos after the deportation was activated in October 2007 after 15 years of filing countless appeals
With the help of savvy legal representation, the media, and an outpouring of support from friends, patients, and even strangers, the Servanos were able to extend their stay in the U.S.
In December 2007, however, they were granted Deferred Action by the Department of Homeland Security, after they were able to extend their stay in the U.S. on the strength of public appeals.
“Yung case na ito when it happened a long time ago, hindi pa kami puwedeng i-petisyon ng mga anak naming because they were just kids then. Ngayon, yung dalawa nasa edad na, kaya puwede na sila,” Servano told FAS.
Shappine, 25, and Steven, 23, have now become more-than-willing ‘saviors’ of their parents. The younger children, Peter and Phoebe, are both attending Selinsgrove High School. Phoebe is an honor student and has received numerous awards for her academic achievements from Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell, Senator Arlen Specter, Mrs. Cheney, and first lady Laura Bush.
Lawyer Jose T. Mallonga of the National Federation of Filipino-American Associations (NaFFAA) is now handling the case.
Although he does not want to give any timetable, Servano is nevertheless optimistic. He wants to extend his gratitude to all those who have been supporting them through the years: the Selinsgrove community, the city mayor, police, civic organizations, his patients, lawyers, the local media, as well as local senators and congressmen.
Servano thus said: “Very thankful ako sa Department of Homeland Security, sa US Citizenship and Immigration Service… lahat sila ay reasonable. Wala akong reklamo, instead I want to thank them sincerely. They are just doing their job and they have been very helpful.”
As a result of this humbling experience, the doctor is determined to give back however he can to his community. In fact, he just finished spearheading the relocation and restoration of a dilapidated 1912-built YMCA building in nearby Sunbury.
Servano envisions this multi-purpose building to serve particularly the Filipino community, as he plans to ask the Philippine embassy in Washington to send personnel to service the needs of Filipinos in the area.
Servano also vows to help Filipinos similarly situated, aside from being the inspiration for his kababayan to always follow the legal path towards achieving their goals in this country, no matter how long and arduous the route.
FilAm Star
