“If this doesn’t happen .... you should get a new leader because we now have the resources and the commitment to do it," Filner told Filipino-American community leaders at a teleconference organized by the National Alliance for Filipino Veterans Equity (NAFVE) with Rep. Mike Honda.

Both Honda and Rep. Bob Filner, the bill’s sponsor, are Democrats from California, where many Filipino immigrants live.

But Eric Lachica, executive director of the Washington-based American Coalition for Filipino Veterans (ACFV) cautioned passage of the veterans bill was not all that certain  particularly in the Senate where Democrats hold a slim one-seat majority.

We are cautiously optimistic about the prospects of the equity pension bill passing this fall, but we have major hurdles to overcome." he said pointing out that not all Senate Democrats have publicly declared yet if they will vote for it.

 The measure if enacted into law will repeal the Rescissions Act passed by Congress in 1946 which barred Filipino veterans from receiving US pensions or benefits despite the fact they were drafted into service by an executive order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt at a time when the Philippines was a territory of the United States.

 In effect, except for those who died or were maimed or separated from active service for physical disability, most of the Filipinos were denied the same rights given to  American war veterans — the most glaring of which is a non combat-related disability pension currently set at  $800 a month.  

 Honda said rescinding the US military status of a quarter of a million Filipino veterans who fought under US command was one of the greatest injustices ever perpetrated by Congress.

 “After six decades of disgrace, we have the responsibility to correct this injustice and honor their service and sacrifice, and our window of opportunity to make these brave veterans whole is rapidly closing," he said referring to the fact most of them are in their late 70s or 80s. ACFV  estimates about 13,000 WWII veterans still live in the Philippines and 5,000 reside in the United States.  Many of those in the US already receive their full benefits.

Filner estimates the cost of providing full equity to Filipino veterans at $100 million annually.

“A $100 million sounds like a lot to all of us as individuals but in the context of a budget of $3 trillion it is not very much. So we will find it (the $100 million) . We will have it." he said.

“We have a commitment from the leadership of the majority party in both the House and Senate to find the money," he added.

Filner, who is now in his 8th term in the House is unwavering in his quest for full equity for Filipino veterans because of the support he receives from his Filipino-American constituency.

 “I have had some close elections and some easy elections. But when the close elections came it was the Filipino-American community in San Diego that saved me and it is because of them that I am chairman now," he said.

 There is a rush by supporters of the Filipino veterans to get the bills passed by April or May so the budget can be included in the overall Veterans Administration budget for fiscal year 2008 which starts on Oct. 1.

 Asked why the Filipino veterans issue seems to have caught fire only now in Congress, Filner said the situation has changed dramatically because House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was a strong supporter of the bill and with him and Sen. Akaka in crucial positions “you have people who understand the issues and are committed to getting it done this year."

As in the February 15 House hearing, Filipino veteran leaders, US Veterans Administration and Philippine government officials will testify at the two-hour hearing which begins at 9:30 a.m. Two former WWII veterans and powerful Democratic senators from Hawaii, who together have supported Filipino veterans benefits bills since the 1980s, will be at the center of the hearing.

According to the American Coalition for Filipino Veterans, a national advocacy organization based in the Washington area, their leaders in Honolulu, Seattle, Jersey City, New York, Philadelphia, and in various cities in California are being mobilized to join the April 11 “Bataan Action Day” on Capitol Hill.

They will also engage in local weekend events to mark the 65th anniversary of the April 9 Bataan Day of Valor when 60,000 Filipino and American troops were forced to surrender in 1942 after four months of siege and when more than 15,000 brutally died on the “Death March” as prisoners.

In a related development on March 12, four ACFV leaders testified in Maryland House of Delegates in Annapolis for MD Joint Resolution H.J.R. 6 urging President George W. Bush and Maryland Senators Barbara Mikulski and Benjamin Cardin to support the Inouye-Akaka Equity bill S. 57.

By Lito Katigbak