Equity bill for Pinoy war vets ends up dead in US Congress

WASHINGTON – Filipino war veterans were hoping to get a nice Christmas present from Uncle Sam this year for their services in World War II. Instead they came up empty-handed.

When the US Senate voted in April to give veterans living in the Philippines $300 a month in pensions, basically reversing the Recession Act of 1946 which stripped them of their GI benefits, they were ecstatic.

But in the end it all proved to be much ado about nothing.

A decision by the House in the waning days of the 110th Congress to drop the pensions in favor of a one-time lump sum payment only served to complicate the issue and nothing concrete was achieved except possibly more heartache for the old warriors.  

It did not help the veterans any that the attention of Congress in the final days before it adjourned on Friday was focused on hammering out a bailout plan to ward off a financial meltdown in the United States.

When the new 111th Congress convenes in January, the veterans will have to start anew in their struggle for what they claim is their rightful reward from the United States for fighting the Japanese in WWII.   

But many are not likely to see the fruits of their labor because of natural attrition. Most of the veterans are in their 80s or early 90s and time is not a luxury that they have.

Democratic Sen. Daniel Akaka of Hawaii, chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and one of the strongest supporters of the Filipinos, in a statement on Friday vowed to renew his advocacy in the new Congress next year.   

“As this Congress ends, I pledge my commitment to continue to work with and for the World War II Filipino veterans in the next Congress. I will continue to fight for final enactment of legislation which not only compensates them, but also recognizes their true status as US veterans,” he said.

“I believe that any legislation which does not address the 1946 Rescission Act so as to recognize them for their service is unacceptable. As long as they fight for their recognition, I will fight for it as well,” he added. 

Retired Maj. Gen. Delfin Lorenzana, head of the veterans affairs office at the Philippine Embassy in Washington, said it was disappointing to come so close to success only to come up empty handed but added “the struggle goes on and will continue to go on until final victory.”

Lorenzana is already asking supporters for their input on how to proceed in the 111th Congress.

Among those who worked hard for the passage of the Filipino veterans equity bill was President Arroyo who went out of her way when she visited Washington in June to lobby House leaders for the bill’s passage.

She received assurances from key congressional members that the bill, already approved by the Senate, would pass the House before the presidential elections in November.

But it was not to be.

After the Senate in April unanimously approved S1315 which included an article awarding 18,000 Filipino veterans their pensions, the passage of a similar bill in the House seemed like a slam dunk.  

Indeed the bill passed in the House, but without the article on Filipino veterans because of opposition by some key Republicans who estimated the Filipino pensions would add $221 million a year to the veterans budget. 

Under S1315 about 6,000 US-based Filipino veterans stood to receive a pension of $911 a month while their estimated 12,000 comrades living in the Philippines would get $300 a month for those single and $375 a month for those married.

To assuage those opposed to the cost of S1315, House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Filner, another strong supporter of Filipino veterans, proposed a one-time, lump-sum payment to the veterans – $15,000 for those living in the United States and $9,000 for those living in the Philippines – in recognition of their wartime services.