Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

Article Index
US House passes bill to reward Filipino WWII Vets
Page 2
All Pages

ACFV Vice President and WWII veteran Franco Arcebal said his fellow veterans are favoring S. 1315.

"Believe me when I tell you that if H.R. 6897 passes none of the veterans would apply for it," he said. "There’s too much to risk. We would be losing all of our benefits including Social Security Income (SSI), medicare, food bank assistance and house rental assistance."

De Guzman said while he is pleased that both the Senate and the House finally have passed bills to rectify the situation, questions remain.

"Not the least of it is the amount" for each old soldier, he said. The veterans themselves, he said, "are surprisingly of one voice on this. Traditionally if you ask 11 vets what they think, you get 11 different answers." They are united in thinking the congressional action is lacking, he said.

Last Push

Congress was set to adjourn this week but the financial crisis and talks of a $700 billion bailout plan may be what the Filipino Veterans Equity Enhance Act needs to keep it alive.

There are already talks that Congress is extending the session until the end of this month.

Still some are not that optimistic. NAFVE are working on the timetable that if nothing happens by the end of this week, both bills are dead.

"Anything that doesn’t happen by the end of this week that’s it," said De Guzman. "That’s how we’re looking at it. The reality of it is it’s not officially over until the final gavel adjourns the 110th Congress but in reality we’re working on the timetable that this is the final week to get something done."

Meanwhile, Lachica and the rest of ACFV officials are planning for last minute mobilization efforts.

"We are trying to organize [Filipino WWII] veterans around the country," said Arcebal.

Lachica said that it’s time for the community to rally and continue to call their Senators and Representatives.

The Filipino veterans would seem to have a champion in the chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Democratic Sen. Daniel Akaka, a World War II veteran from Hawaii.

His spokesman, Jesse Broder-Van Dyke, said Akaka was meeting with senators about the veterans. Akaka sponsored the bill that passed the Senate with the pensions intact.

"He just wants to give them the recognition they reserve while they’re still alive," Broder Van Dyke said. (with AP wire reports)

< Prev		Next >