LOS ANGELES—At the Lake Street Park in front of the Filipino World War II Veterans memorial, as many Filipino WWII veterans celebrated the passage of the Filipino Veterans Equity Act on the anniversary of the infamous Rescission Act of 1946, around the corner away from the celebration was Ms. Lou Lou Astilla.
The 85-year-old dressed in a red shirt sat quietly on a park bench in the shade away from the blaring afternoon sun, away from the podium where the Filipino veterans announced their victory, away from the many other veterans and years-long supporters enjoying the moment.
"The continuing struggle of equity moves forward," said Los Angeles City Councilman Eric Garcetti. "It is not done. And yet as we achieve a victory…we stand here and celebrate today because if we forget to celebrate we forget to live life to the fullest."
But as the others celebrated, Lou Lou Astilla was torn.
Lou Lou Astilla is a veteran’s widow.
She said she would have loved to enjoy this moment with her late husband Francisco Astilla Jr., who served as a guerilla soldier for the Philippines in WWII. He died in 2002 with US military honors.
But Lou Lou Astilla is torn because the $198 million Filipino Veterans Equity Act provision that was included in President Barack Obama’s stimulus pacakage does not provide any compensation for widows of Filipino veterans.
"It’s so sad you know," said Astilla, who is starting an organization to help claim money for veteran widows. "I know there are many widows complaining even those in the Philippines…why have they been discarded or put aside? When in fact the widows need more help because they are widows."
Lou Lou and many of the widows are confused.
Earlier versions of the Filipino Veterans Equity Act gave compensation to widows of veterans. However, when the bill was revised into the lump sum agreement, they left out payments to the widows.
Congresswoman Lucille Roybal Allard said that widows were left out because of budgetary concerns.
"It does not in any way diminish their contributions and what they deserve," said Roybal-Allard. "It’s just too bad it had to happen this way. I do regret that was not part of the package."
Filipino WWII veteran Franco Arcebal said that they are planning a way to compensate the widows. He said that the House budget committee had overestimated the number of living Filipino veterans when they came up with the $198 million total.
Arcebal said that they are planning to speak with Senator Daniel Akaka to possibly use the extra money not claimed or leftover from the lump sum bill to give to the widows of veterans.
"We are working on it," said Arcebal.
Arcebal added that many Filipino veterans are relieved to have finally received some sort of compensation for their service but that some might not be reluctant to fight for the widows of veterans.
Until the widows receive their payment, many Filipino veteran supporters wonder if these lump sum payments signal a new beginning or the end of the Filipino veterans battle for true equity.
"I am so disappointed," added Esther Perlas, another widow at the Lake Street Park. "My husband has been waiting for that and then he died, waiting for that money.""
( Published on February 21, 2009 Asian Journal Los Angeles p. A1 )
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