Palace clarifies veterans equity bill yet to be enacted into law

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang has clarified that the Filipino Veterans Equity Bill has not yet been enacted into law despite its overwhelming approval in the US Senate, and cannot yet be implemented by Washington’s Department of Veterans Affairs.

Assistant Secretary for Veterans Affairs Jesus Terry Adevoso issued the statement because many living World War II veterans and/or their widows, children and grandchildren have been calling Malacañang asking when they will start receiving the “equity pensions.”

The Palace has also received some reports that unscrupulous elements and so-called “fixers” operating in urban and provincial areas are taking advantage of media reports of an alleged approval of the equity bill by the US government and thereby victimizing some veterans with promises of facilitation of their US pensions.

Adevoso, also a former head of the Office of Veterans Affairs in the Washington, DC Philippine Embassy (2002-2004), said that the US House of Representatives still has to vote on its version of the equity bill, possibly within the next two weeks, if initial reports from the office of House Veterans Affairs Committee chairman Rep. Bob Filner are correct. The US Senate had earlier approved the bill, 96-1.

He said that if the House approves its version of the bill, both the Senate and House versions will then have to be hammered out into one final version by the Congressional Bicameral Conference Committee, and then be signed into law by President George W. Bush.

Adevoso recalled that it was President Arroyo who revived the almost-dead equity campaign of Filipino WWII veterans in 2002. He said she has always been protective and concerned for Filipino WWII veterans and has always prioritized the equity issue since then, resulting in her convincing President Bush in Australia last September 2007 to sign any US Congress-approved equity bill.

Mrs. Arroyo also signed into law last April 9 the crucial bill authored by Sen. Richard Gordon which guarantees non-termination and continuance of Philippine veterans benefits even if a US equity bill is passed into law.

Cautioning the veterans’ sector against premature celebration and the enticements of fixers and the mis- or even dis-information they spread about the equity pensions, Adevoso said that the remaining road to full approval of equity could still be bumpy, since the few American legislators who oppose equity for Filipino WWII veterans could still cause delays at the Bicam Committee, or even lobby with President Bush to veto any approved equity bill. He said the Philippine government was monitoring all developments closely, and was ready to do whatever is needed and legally do-able for final approval.