“Now you don’t have to beg. You deserve it and you’re going to get it. We’re on the verge of victory," the congressman from San Diego told a meeting of veterans leaders at the Philippine embassy in Washington hours before he was named chairman by a majority of Democrats who took control of the House and the Senate in last month’s elections.

But as the veterans cheered, clapped and shouted “salamat, Salamat" Filner cautioned that while passage of the equity bill was a “slam dunk” in the House, “we still have the Senate to hurdle and the funding to discuss."

(Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), incoming chair of the Senate veterans affairs committee who received a certificate of appreciation from Filipino veterans meeting in Washington D.C., was not as optimistic. He said in an interview with a Honolulu newspaper that the current fiscal condition makes it “extremely difficult” to obtain veterans’ benefits.)

Quoting an old proverb Delfin Lorenzana, head of the Office of Veterans Affairs at the embassy and a retired army major general, said “let’s not count our chickens before they hatch.”

The two-day meeting of veterans leaders from across the United States and the Philippines was hosted by the embassy and the National Federation of Filipino-American Associations (NaFFAA) after new Philippine ambassador Willie Gaa urged the Filipino-American community last month to rally around the veterans “once and for all” to secure them the benefits they justly deserve from the US government.

Called to serve in the military at a time when the Philippines was still a territory of the United States, Filipino WWII fighters were stripped of their recognition as US veterans for purposes of VA benefits under the 1946 Rescission Act.

About 18,000 WWII veterans live in the Philippines and 6,000 reside in the United States.

Among those at the two-day meeting were Alma Kern, NaFFAA’ new leader, Ramon Miranda, vice president of the Veterans Federation of the Philippines, Eric Lachica, Executive Director of the American Coalition of Filipino Veterans and the heads of other major veteran’s advocacy groups.

Labor and community leader Gloria Caoile described Filner’s speech as unbelievable. “I couldn’t believe what I was hearing him say so I took down notes," she said.

At the end of the meeting the participating delegates signed a “Declaration of Unity to obtain full equity and justice for Filipino World War II veterans in the 110th US Congress."

 They pledged to lobby jointly for passage of equity bills in the 110th Congress that seek to overturn the Rescission  Act.

“Restoring the dignity and honor of our veterans has been the single most important issue of the Filipino American community for the past 15 years," Kern said. “Achieving united action is a historic step in our campaign to obtain full equity for our veterans."

The delegates steered clear of mentioning any pension benefits for the veterans, a divisive issue in the past.

They are split between those who favor a maximum pension of $800 a month for all Filipino veterans who have non combat-related disability, the same amount received by their US comrades, and those who support a graduated increase for veterans living in the Philippines.

It is estimated that a maximum pension for all Filipino veterans would cost Uncle Sam about $230 million annually, 10 times more than a starting pension of $100 a month.

“There may have to be some compromise on the pension, it may be below the expectation of some veterans or it may be high, it remains to be seen what Congress will do," Lorenzana said.

“Now more than ever, Congress must act to officially recognize Filipino veterans as American veterans and restore the benefits they rightly deserve," a joint statement issued at the end of the conference said.

WASHINGTON D.C. – Filipino veterans joined officials from the Philippine Embassy Dec. 6 to present a Certificate of Appreciation to U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) for his support and commitment to Filipino veterans.

Various Filipino groups gathered at the Embassy Dec. 6-7 to plan new strategies on how to pursue benefits for Filipino and Filipino-American veterans of World War II.

 Ambassador to the U.S., Willy Gaa, said, “We express our appreciation to Senator Akaka for being at the Conference. His presence to say the least provided great hope for Filipino veterans who have struggled over the years to secure the benefits that we believe are due to them.”

Akaka is the incoming Chairman for the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. In March, he introduced an amendment to the 2007 Congressional Budget Resolution that would have provided non-service connected pension to Filipino World War II veterans. The amendment failed, largely due to cost.

Akaka stated, “The current fiscal conditions have made it extremely difficult for veterans’ benefits, whether for Filipino veterans or others, to be improved and expanded.” Akaka is also a cosponsor of S.146, the Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 2005, which is sponsored by Hawaii’s Senior Senator, Daniel Inouye.

“Please be assured that I share your frustration with the current fiscal restraints. I will continue to do everything within my power to help Filipino World War II veterans gain the equity that they so richly deserve,” noted Senator Akaka. “I plan to have Filipino veterans-related issues on the agenda during my tenure as the Chairman of Veterans’ Affairs, which begins in a few short weeks.”