Guingona thanks US lawmakers for action on WWII vets

Vice President Teofisto Guingona is happy that American lawmakers have assured the speedy passage of a bill in the US Congress seeking to rectify the "injustice" done to thousands of Filipino troops who fought under the American flag during World War II.

In a statement, Guingona thanked President Arroyo for taking up the cause of Filipino veterans during her separate meetings with US President George W. Bush and leaders of the bipartisan Philippine Caucus in the US House of Representatives.

"We are truly gratified that there are new assurances from both the White House and Capitol Hill that there will now be speedier action on the long-delayed passage of the Senate Bill No. 68, also known as the Filipino Veterans Benefits Improvement Act‚ sponsored by Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye," he said.

Before Mrs. Arroyo left for her US state visit last May 17, Guingona sent her an open letter "requesting you to convey to the US government our plea for the speedy passage of the Fil-Am equity bill."

In that letter, Guingona pointed out that the US Rescission Act of 1946 denied Filipino veterans the benefits given to American GIs like the right to education and health care, and "erased the deeds of those who fought and desecrated the rights of those who perished."

Guingona said benefits provided by the US government should apply to all veterans and their survivors, regardless of their country of residence.

"We are indeed grateful that President Arroyo took up the cudgels for our veterans," he said. "With the immense goodwill that our President’s visit to the US has built, and her articulation of the needs and hopes of our war veterans, I am fully confident that their prayers will soon be answered."

He also welcomes Mrs. Arroyo’s naming of Jerry Adevoso, son of guerrilla leader Terry Adevoso, as official representative to the US of the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office, Guingona added.

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

During her visit to Washington last week, Mrs. Arroyo was reported to have discussed the Fil-Am equity bill during her expanded bilateral meeting with Bush at the White House.

She also had a breakfast meeting at Blair House with the two steadfast supporters of the veterans equity bill in the US Senate, Senators Inouye and Ted Stevens.

Mrs. Arroyo also met 15 Democratic and Republican congressmen of the House ways and means committee at the Capitol Building.

The American lawmakers assured Mrs. Arroyo of their full support‚ not only for the Fil-Am veterans equity bill, but also on the expansion of bilateral trade and anti-terrorism cooperation between the Philippines and the United States.

While in Washington, Mrs. Arroyo also received a pledge from renowned Filipino-American filmmaker Dean Devlin that he will produce a video documentary to lobby for the passage of the Fil-Am veterans equity bill, in addition to an earlier piece that Devlin made which featured the exploits of Filipino veterans.

In a letter to The Washington Times last year, Rep. Bob Filner, a California Democrat, called for the repeal of the Rescissions Act.

The law barred Filipino veterans from receiving US privileges or benefits despite the fact that they were drafted into service by an executive order of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt at a time when the Philippines was a territory of the United States.

The Rescissions Act, passed by Congress shortly after the end of the war, decreed that such rights, privileges and benefits were the obligation of the new government of the Philippines.

But the new government in Manila did not have any money for that purpose and the veterans were left to fend for themselves.

In effect, except for those who died or were maimed or separated from active service for physical disability, most of the Filipino veterans were denied the same rights given to other World War II US veterans.