JFAV Questions RP Embassy Data that Only 18,155 Filipino war vets are to benefit from US equity bills

Los Angeles-- The Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV) adamantly questions the number of Filipino World War II veterans are expected to benefit from the equity bills awaiting action in both houses of the United States Congress, as reported in major newspapers.

Newspapers quoted the report of Philippine Ambassador to the US Willy Gaa that only 18,155 of this number remain alive, according to Gaa.?"After the US Army left in 1948 with its list of Filipino WWII veterans, the Armed Forces of the Philippines continued to list late registrants,"

But for JFAV, a community-veterans alliance based in California; “ the crux of the problem is that the main stream newspapers report did not report the other half of what Gaa reported that PVAO reported that figures of 33, 571 living veterans in the Philippines as of May 2007. PVAO also reported 54,000 living Filipino veterans in the Philippines in 2002.”

Figures Lies, Liars Figures

JFAV Coordinator and People’s CORE community organizer for Immigrant Rights and Social Justice Program said: “ The newspaper reports toe the official line of the Veterans Administration that downgrades the number of Filipino World War II veterans so they will only appropriate the smallest amount possible for compensation.”

“ By pegging the number to 18,155 and using the DVA rooster, the government of the Philippines readily admits that PVAO is lying and manipulating the figures. Admitting Filipinos are liars which is a surrrender of sovereignty. IF we add the 18, 155 figure of DVA and the 33, 571 figure of PVAO, there are still 61, 729 Filipino veterans who should benefit from these late compensations.” JFAV exclaimed.

"By formally submitting a more accurate number, the US Congress as well as the US Veterans Administration will have a much clearer idea of the resources and other administrative requirements that are involved in the equity bill," Gaa said.. With an accurate count of veterans, "there will no longer be any speculations and estimates that tend to confuse the issue,"

He said the data were taken primarily from two sources -- the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) which maintained the list of surviving WWII veterans, and the roster of Filipino WWII veterans in the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) Regional Office in Manila.

Brazen Display of Unabashed Puppetry

But for JFAV Arturo Garcia said:”, the problem is that ” the Philippine government stressed the 18,155 figure and downplayed the 33,571 figure of PVAO and the worst, did not even mentioned it in their report which is a very cowardly posture and very Un-Filipino.”

Garcia further said;” The Philippine government is at it again, acting like a beggar and kowtowing to U.S interests just to gain its advantage at the expense of Filipino veterans in the Philippines and a small number of veterans in the United States.”

This DVA roster is the same as the US Army Roster of Filipino WWII veterans stored in the US Army Archives in St. Louis, Missouri. The US Army roster, which was compiled after the end of World War II, listed 260,143 Filipino WWII veterans,

Gaa said. Once the equity bill is passed, Gaa said the embassy would make a request to the US government for the inclusion of those who were not in the US Army list, subject to the legal screening procedure.

The US enlisted 200,000 Filipino youth into its military in July 26,1941 when it formed the USAFFE, promising they would get the same pension and medical benefits and treatment as Americans.

However, Washington broke its wartime promises, passing the infamous Rescission Act of 1946, which deprived Filipino soldiers who fought alongside US soldiers of equal benefits and privileges.

Various US legislators and officials have sought to correct this, filing equity bills for the benefit of Filipino war veterans in Congress. They include Senator Daniel Akaka, chair of the Senate veterans' affairs committee, Senator Daniel Inouye, sponsor of the Senate version of the equity bill (S.57) and Representative Bob Filner, chair of the House veterans' affairs committee and sponsor of the House version of the equity bill (H.R. 760).



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