Pinoy war veterans in US to ask for help from GMA

WASHINGTON — Filipino World War II veterans have appealed to President Arroyo to urge US President George W. Bush to support a bill in the US Congress seeking to provide an equitable package of veterans’ benefits to 11,000 US-based and 34,000 veterans in the Philippines.

The President leaves tonight for a three-day state visit to Washington.

In an open letter to Mrs. Arroyo, the American Coalition for Filipino Veterans (ACFV) said her three-day state visit to the US starting Sunday "may be a historic opportunity to settle our Filipino WWII veterans’ claims once and for all."

The coalition asked Mrs. Arroyo to urge Bush to support Senate Bill S. 68 of Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye (Democrat) for the passage of the "Filipino Veterans Benefits Improvement Act."

If passed into law, the bill would allow Philippine-based veterans to receive $43 million annually in medical benefits and $100-a-month disability pension, while Filipino veterans in the US could get $17 million every year.

"We believe the $60 million VA budget estimate of S. 68 is realistic and will be acceptable to the US Senate and Congress," the ACFV letter to Mrs. Arroyo last Monday said.

"With your successful partnership with President Bush and the grassroots support of two million plus Filipino-Americans, we can win our veterans bills —a legacy of your administration," the letter said.

Mrs. Arroyo and Bush are expected to discuss mutual defense, security and economic matters related to, among other things, the Philippines’ participation in the postwar reconstruction of Iraq and Balikatan 03-1 in Sulu.