Lauro Baja, Jr.

Lauro Liboon Baja, Jr. (born 2 May 1937) was the Permanent Representative to the United Nations for the Republic of the Philippines, and a former Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs. He presented his credentials to the Secretary-General of the United Nations on 21 May 2003, replacing former Ambassador Alfonso T. Yuchengco. He was replaced by former Chief Justice Hilario Davide in 2006.

Baja led the Philippine delegation in a two-year membership in the Security Council. He was president of the Security Council, first in June 2004 and again in September 2005. Between 2003 and 2004, Amb. Baja was Chairman of the United Nations General Assembly Sixth Committee (Legal).

In 2003 he was conferred by President Arroyo the Order of Sikatuna with the rank of Datu, the highest award a member of the Philippine Foreign Service could receive. In 1999, he received the Gawad Mabini Award with the rank of Dakilang Kamanong. The Philippine Jaycees Senate named Ambassador Baja the Outstanding Filipino (TOFIL) Awardee for his outstanding work in the field of bilateral and multilateral diplomacy.

On June 24, 2008, Baja, his wife, Norma Castro Baja, and his daughter, Maria Elizabeth Baja Facundo, were named co-defendants in a US civil complaint filed at Southern District of Manhattan, alleging trafficking, forced labor, peonage and racketeering. The complainant claimed that she worked 16-hour days for 7 days a week at Mr. Baja's consular residence and was subjected to verbal and physical abuse from the Baja family.

The plaintiff, Ms. Baoanan, accused the Baja family of paying her only $100 for 3 months' work and another $100 for looking after Facundo’s son. Baja stated, however, that "as per our records" Baoanan received $200 a month, and the amount was remitted to her Manila family. Baja further said that Baoanan arrived in New York in January 2006 but left them 3 months later, without their knowledge. The New York state minimum wage was $7.15 per hour while Baja has openly admitted paying his maid an average of $6.60 per day.

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