For Immediate Release

FIL-AM COMMUNITY/ JFAV HAILS HOUSE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE’S PASSAGE OF EQUITY BILL

Los Angeles—“Better late than never!” ( Huli man daw at magaling, naihahabol din!)

The Filipino American community in Southern California and the Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV) hailed today the passage of the Equity Bill in the House Veterans Affair Committee headed by Congressman Bob Filner by a vote of 15-12. The bill passed the Veterans Affairs Committee hearing last Tuesday, July 17. Earlier Filner promised to have the bill passed by June 30.

JFAV coordinators Peping Baclig and Al P. Garcia of People’s CORE also thanked everybody who tirelessly work for this efforts for the last 18 years. Earlier the U.S. Senate passed their version that will grant old age pension to Filipino veterans in the U.S. and in the Philippines.

“ We shared this victory with those comrades and friends, veterans and advocates and to those who were skeptic and even to our detractors who chide us that we cannot achieve our goals of recognition, justice and equity. But there are still work to do and let us persist more to finish the tasks!”

“Now the more than 6,000 Filipino veterans in the United States and the 12,000 veterans in the Philippines can say that they are American veterans and their sacrifices and contribution to the war effort during World War II is duly recognized.” Baclig and Garcia stated.

JFAV was formed last December 16, 1998 in Los Angeles and took over the December 7th Movement (D7M) formed in December 7, 1993 that spearheaded the first public demonstration against the Rescission Act of 1946 that started the movement that demanded recognition, justice and equity for Filipino veterans .

More Work to Be Done, On to Washington on July 25-26!

JFAV announced that there will be a mark up sessions between the two houses to settle the differences in the bills on July 27. The JFAV will send a delegation to the ACFV Conference on July 26-27 on the 66the USAFFE Day in Washington DC.

The House version will grant full pension of $ 911 to the veterans in the U.S and $ 700 to those living in the Philippines. The Senate version will grant $ 500 to Filipinos living in the Philippines. Thus a reconciliation process is needed to determine the mark-up budget for the two bills.

The American Coalition for Filipino Veterans (ACFV), the newly formed National Alliance for Veterans Equity (NAFVE) and the National Alliance of Filipino American Associations (NAFAA), all based in Washington DC worked hard in the halls of the U.S Congress too lobby for the passage of the equity bill.

For more information on the veterans issue please call Al P.Garcia at People’s CORE @(213)241-0906



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Justice for Filipino American Veterans(JFAV)

July 20, 2007

Contact Person; Al P. Garcia

Phone number (213) 241-0906

email: jfav_causa@yahoo.com