RP urged to be even-handed in hiring of US lobbyists

WASHINGTON – The Philippine government’s plan to hire Democratic lobbyist Stuart Eizenstat of the law firm Covington and Burling LLP to promote its interests in Washington may impede or jeopardize the campaign to gain full equity for Filipino World War II veterans, the American Coalition for Filipino Veterans (ACFV) said.

In a letter to President Arroyo dated Jan. 7, the Washington-based advocacy group said bipartisan support on Capitol Hill was necessary and essential to pass the Filipino equity bills now mired in Congress, and the hiring of a Democrat as lobbyist should be balanced with the hiring of a Republican lobby firm.

The ACFV said equity bills approved in the Veterans Administration committees in the US Senate and House in mid-2007 were being held hostage in Congress because of extreme partisan wrangling on the Iraq War versus US domestic spending priorities.

To help break the legislative logjam over the equities issue, there was need for the Philippines to be seen as evenhanded in its hiring of lobbyists.

The sole choice of Eizenstat, a former Clinton and Carter Cabinet official, and his Covington firm may create a partisan perception with the Bush White House and the Republican senators that the Philippine government may be overwhelmingly supporting Democrats during this election year, ACFV said.

A six-month contract with Covington costing the Philippines $500,000 is expected to be signed within the next few weeks, said Philippine Ambassador to Washington Willy Gaa.

ACFV recommended that Gaa also hire an influential Republican lobby firm to complement or partner with the Covington lobby “to reaffirm the Philippine government’s nonpartisan relationship with the Bush Administration and US Congress and to reach a bipartisan compromise.”

Only about 18,000 veterans out of about 250,000 Filipinos who fought under the American flag are still alive. They are seeking the same benefits that their US comrades-in-arms receive.

The stalled equity bill in the Senate provides non-combat service pensions of $300 a month to poor Filipino veterans while the House version calls for $800 a month.