COMMEMORATE BATAAN DAY AND GRASP THE LESSONS OF THE VETERANS STRUGGLE

AJLPP Update

April 9, 2009

Los Angeles, CA

COMMEMORATE BATAAN DAY AND GRASP THE LESSONS OF THE VETERANS STRUGGLE FOR RECOGNITION, JUSTICE AND EQUITY

Los Angeles- The Alliance Philippines (AJLPP) gives the Filipino Veterans a red salute for the commemoration of the 67th anniversary of the fall of Bataan, April 9, 1942. We also pay tribute to both the living and the departed veterans of that war.

Bataan is not only a symbol of resistance, Filipino patriotism and bravery but also a living testament of the Filipino people's will to fight and defeat fascism in the Philippines and the whole of Asia.

Greatest Contribution

It is one of he greatest contribution of the Filipino people to the free world in defeating fascism in Asia and liberating a large portion of the Philippines even before the Americans reoccupied the Philippines. In the process we lost one million people, our cities like Manila, Baguio and Dagupan and almost he whole Philippines were destroyed.

The colonial powers and the imperialist during that time bragged about Hongkong and Singapore as the Gibraltar of the East. But like the other imperialist outposts in Asia , it fell to the Japanese earlier than Bataan in February 1942. On the contrary, Bataan held on despite the poor preparations, lack of training and armaments and the neglect of the US forces that only formed the USAFFE in July 1941, six months before the war.

Bataan became the toast of the world prompting British prime minister Churchill to say: “The Filipino soldier is the bravest in the world, second to none.”

It is a fact that if the Filipino generals were in command, Bataan may have not surrendered. They have planned a break out and an outflanking move against the Japanese but their colonial masters-American General Douglas Macarthur who abandoned them and overruled them and General King who ordered the surrender after a brief full-scale attack by the Japanese that lasted for five days.

Death March and the Resistance

The next sad chapter was a disaster. The Japanese were not expecting more than 100,000 Filipino-American soldiers and were to make them force march to San Fernando. With not enough food and under extreme brutalities, the 55-mile trek was called the "Death March. More Filipinos and Americans died during their imprisonment in the death camps of Tarlac and other places of the Philippines.

But the significance of Bataan is not its defeat but its glorious stand. It made the American people aware that in defeat they have to struggle to win. Bataan is the first defeat America suffered in its colonial possessions. That is the probable reason why they wanted to forget about Bataan and did not recognize the Filipino veterans as American veterans.

More than 450,000 Filipinos fought under the US armed forces during the war as USAFFE soldiers, guerillas and regular soldiers during the liberation and even after the war. The United States only recognized 250,000 of them but refused to recognize independent guerilla units like the HUKBALAHAP in Central Luzon.

Fight Racism

But the worst, they declared as " not active military service" their military record and refused to recognize them as American veterans for the purposes of benefits and rights. This extreme act of racial discrimination or racism is of the worst type and went unnoticed for more than 50 years until Filipino Veterans took to the courts and then to the streets to ventilate their struggle.

The Filipino veterans owe it to themselves and not to those “champions and most of all not to the Philippine government their modest gain of a lump sum without recognition. The Philippine and the US government kept the matter of the Rescission Act silent for almost 50 years and misrepresented the issue as the issue of “back pay” and “reparations”. Thus we treat them with the utmost contempt for their duplicity and puppetry.

On the 67th Bataan Day, we commemorate not only the fall of Bataan and the ditching of the Filipino-American soldiers who were left behind to surrender but its second betrayal by the US Congress who bailed out the corporations first by the tune of $ 700 B and excluded them from the S. 1315. And then just to give them a one-time payment instead of a lifetime pension with a quitclaim.

Today, we condemn the betrayal of the so-called “champions” lobbyist most of all the Philippine Government and others who accepted the lump sum with quit claim and called this “recognition”. This is our second Bataan, in the year 2009.

Our Call to Our Youth and The Community

We must not stop and must continue our struggle. The lump sum is just a modest gain and not even a tactical victory. We must pursue total recognition, gain more benefits and fight racial discrimination and racism.

We call on the youth to grasp the lessons of colonial betrayal and imperialism and fight racism with all our might. The veterans issue is a democratic issue and we must highlight the proud and brave tradition of the Filipinos for fighting for freedom, justice and against fascism during World War II and even at present.

We must not think that because we are asking recognition as American soldiers we are puppets of the US government. We are only asking what is due to us and the recognition we rightfully deserves. This an issue of equal rights, equal protection under the law.

Thus, we must also fight for the benefits of the widows, rightful heirs and the veterans. We call on the US Congress to amend S 1315 and include benefits for Filipino veterans. Struggle to improve the livelihood, wellness and welfare of our seniors, veterans and widows as well as their children.

Ituloy ang Laban! Kunin ang Lump Sum at Iggit ang tunay na Equity!

AJLPP

National Secretariat

April 9, 2009