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BUSINESS LEADERS, WAR VETS IN RP TO LOBBY FOR
ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION FOR WAR VETS
October 16, 2003
When US President George W. Bush meets with
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Saturday (Oct. 18),
at least two dozen Filipino-American leaders will be
at hand to welcome President Bush to the country and
thank President Arroyo for her continued efforts to
“forge an equitable Filipino World War II veterans'
benefits and a stronger RP-US partnership.”
Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Communities
Secretary Heherson T. Alvarez presented to the media
the members of the US delegation composed of the National
Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA)
chaired by corporate CEO Loida Nicolas-Lewis, and the
American Coalition for Filipino Veterans, Inc. (ACFV)
led by its executive director Eric Lachica.
Alvarez said the group also came to the Philippines to
remind the nation that once upon a time, the veterans
fought for freedom and democracy side by side with American
troops and that they deserve a just compensation accorded
to their American counterparts.
“For decades, Filipino veterans of World War II, who are now
in their twilight years, have sought equal treatment of their
valiant military service in the US Armed Forces. They stood
up to the same aggression that American-born soldiers did, and
many Filipinos sacrificed their lives in the war for democracy
and liberty,” he said.
In the 1980s, Alvarez joined the veterans groups in the US
Congress to call for adequate compensation while he was in
exile in the US as leader of the overseas opposition movement
that lobbied to cut military and economic aid to the Martial
Law regime.
“Heroes should never be forgotten or ignored. Let us not turn
our backs on those who sacrificed so much. Many of our veterans
have been honored with American citizenship, but let us now work
to repay all of these brave men for their sacrifices by providing
them the full veterans' benefits they have earned,” he added.
From 1941 to 1947, some 140,000 Filipinos fought in World War II
under the US flag. Today, only about 47,000 remain here and abroad.
About 34,000 are currently residing in the Philippines.
Most of the surviving veterans are members of guerrilla units
under the United States Armed Forces of the Far East (USAFFE) and
the Philippine Commonwealth Army which became part of the
US Armed Forces through an executive order of President Roosevelt
in July 26, 1941.
But the 1946 Recission Act branded the services of the veterans
as not “active service,” denying them many benefits.
Successive legislation tried to remedy this but still limited
their benefits to only half the statutory rate received by their
US counterparts. Also, only those residing in the US are entitled
to full-rate medical and disability compensation, and burial
benefits.
Lachica said the ACFV, a 4,000-member organization spearheading
the fight to extend GI benefits to Filipinos, has been lobbying
for $60 million a year in pensions and medical benefits, including
a $100 monthly pension for the 34,000 veterans residing in the
Philippines.
But the Bush administration has asked the US Congress for only
$15 million annually over a five-year period for medical care
for the war veterans, a much smaller amount, as the administration
is now battling a $100-billion budget deficit.
The proposed $15-million package will be divided into: (a) $500,000
equipment grant for Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC);
(b) $11.6 million for healthcare for US-based Filipino veterans;
(c) $568,000 for New Philippine Scouts in the US; and
(c) $2.5 million as Dependency Indemnity Compensation for 438
widows and survivors of Philippine Commonwealth Army and USAFFE
guerrillas who died during World War II.
In her Washington meeting with President Bush last June, President
Arroyo requested from the White House an additional $2 million in
annual medical grant-in-aid to upgrade the Philippine Veterans
Medical Center in Quezon City. She is also expected to push for
various legislative initiatives pending in the US Congress for
additional benefits for Filipino veterans.
Last July, the US House of Representatives passed a $19-million
medical care bill for Filipino veterans. The US Senate is
expected to vote on a similar bill soon. Several other bills
calling for additional compensation packages for Filipino
veterans are pending in both Houses of the US Congress.
As of April 2003, only about 3,800 Filipino veterans who are
living outside the US were receiving compensation as well
as 5,000 surviving spouses and children of Filipino veterans
outside the US. Another 900 Filipino veterans in the US
were receiving compensation, as were 398 surviving dependents.
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