US Wide Mass Actions for Veterans Rights and Equity : JFAV Calls VA Secretary Nicholson: RESIGN, NOW!

Los Angeles ( May 10)—Filipino World War II veterans, youth and students and their community supporters led by the Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV) and the ACFV in four major U.S. cities held mass actions and rallied at the VA offices in Seattle, San Francisco ( May 7), Los Angeles ( May 8) and San Diego ( May 9) and called on Veterans Affair Secretary Jim Nicholson to resign.

Last May 6, during a nationwide teleconference held in Arlington Virginia on the 65 year anniversary of the fall of Corregidor Day. Key ACFV and JFAV leaders decided on a unanimous vote to call for Nicholson resignation.

This call came after the US Congressional leaders last May 3 demanded Nicholson to explain why he awarded 3.2 million is bonuses to senior VA officials in light of VA’s $ 2.B budget shortfalls. Nicholson is also under fire for management lapses in dealing with the backlog of cases, the Walter Reed Hospital fiasco and the theft of 26 million confidential veterans records.

Mass Actions in Four US Cities, May 7-9, 2007

The JFAV and the ACFV in four major U.S. cities in the West Coast protested Nicholson’s mismanagement o f the department, misleading congress and opposition to the Filipino Veterans Equity Bill:

- On May 8. in Los Angeles, more than 20 veterans led by Franco Arcebal and Peping Baclig and JFAV/People’s CORE leaders Mike Nailat and Emerson Lego rallied in front of the VA Outpatient Clinic in 351 E. Temple St., Los Angeles. Eric Lachica of ACFV was also on hand to ask for Nicholson’s resignation. “Nicholson should stop misrepresenting facts and work with the veterans. He must stop opposing the equity bill by bloating the VA budget” JFAV leader Franco Arcebal said.

- In Seattle on May 7, 15 Filipino veterans led by Amador Montero and American Veterans for Peace and AJLPP leaders Ago Martinez presented the VA office at the federal building the JFAV petition and the call for Nicholson to resign. Montero said “ Enough is enough, Nicholson has to go!”

- In San Francisco, Also on May 7, more than 30 veterans led by ACFV Executive Director Eric Lachica led the rally at the Fort Miley Veterans Hospital for “ Equity and Family” and called for Nicholson’s resignation.

_- On May 9, the San Diego veterans also held a rally against Nicholson at the VA hospital in La Jolla. Artemio Caleda, San DiegoWorld War II veteran leader said : “ Nicholson does not deserve to be VA secretary. For what he has done.”

JFAV, the NAFVE and the ACFV are campaigning to restore full recognition of Filipino veterans for their U.S. military service and their entitlement to VA pensions their poor American disabled counterparts received. They are also working for the passage of SB 57 and HR 760 as well as the Veterans Family Reunification Bill S 671 and HR 1287.

For more information please call (213)241-0995 or email@jfav_Causa [at] yahoo.com

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