Lauro Baja

Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC) Chair Constancia de Guzman and Commissioner Jaime Jacob filed criminal cases with the Ombudsman against Baja on March 12 for violations of the Government Procurement Act, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (R.A. 3019), the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, and of technical malversation. Jacob submitted copies of the DFA fact-finding team's report, sworn statements, related documents, and a report of the Commission on Audit, as evidence. On 29 March 2011, Lauro Baja was charged by the Office of the Special Prosecutor with two criminal cases, one for malversation of public funds and another for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. The fund anomalies occurred in two separate instances while Baja was the chief of mission at the UN (2003–2007). The charges were dismissed on March 20, 2017 by the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division for insufficiency of evidence.

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.

Baja, Jr., on July 16, 2008, moved to reject service of summons and dismiss the complaint. Bajas argued he was “diplomatically immune from criminal, civil and administrative suits from all courts of the United States and its states under the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations." Baja alleged that "when the alleged violations transpired between January 13 and April 13, 2006, he was the Philippine permanent representative to the United Nations and head of the Philippine Mission located in New York City."

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.

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.

Her US federal lawsuit, which was filed after a criminal investigation by US authorities, was closed with no charges filed. Baoanan said she paid $5,000 to Baja and Baja's wife's travel agency for a promised nursing job. The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund provided her with legal representation. Marichu Suarez Baoanan, who worked in the ambassadorial townhouse on 15 East 66th Street, Upper East Side, stated: "I did not have hope of escape. I thought of committing suicide because I was so depressed. They paid me with curses, insults, disrespect. They didn’t treat me like a person. I was under the impression they would help me find work as a nurse, instead I was forced to work as a servant for 3 months under abusive conditions.”

Lauro Liboon Baja, Jr. (born 2 May 1937) is a former permanent representative to the United Nations for the Republic of the Philippines and undersecretary of the Philippines' Department 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.