It was a historic moment for the Filipino veterans of World War II.
After waiting for more than five decades for the benefits that were promised them by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1942, the Filipino veterans who fought side-by-side with American forces against the Japanese invaders in the Philippines may finally be able to obtain what is due them.

On June 27, 2007 the US Senate veterans committee chaired by Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii) approved along party lines the Filipino Veterans Equity bill which, among other things, will provide a special set of benefits for the men and women who fought with pride and honor under the US flag. It will also, in effect repeal the Rescission Act of 1946 which deprived the veterans of benefits.

This was the first time in history that the benefits for Filipino veterans reached the mark-up stage and approved by the Senate committee.

Philippine Ambassador Willy C. Gaa said it “marks a special and historic occasion in our long-standing quest for justice and equity for our brave and courageous Filipino WW II veterans.” He added “This is the first time since the end of World War II in 1945 that the contribution of Filipino soldiers to the US war effort in the Philippines (which was then an American commonwealth) is being officially recognized by a US legislative enactment.”

A similar bill has been filed in the House of Representatives by Rep. Bob Filner (D-CA). If the bill is eventually passed and signed into law, thousands of surviving Filipino veterans and their widows, particularly those still living in the Philippines, will receive up to $375 a month as pension.

As Sen. Inouye and Sen. Daniel Akaka, both Democrats from Hawaii, put it, “it was a big step toward giving justice and recognizing the heroic contribution of the Filipino soldiers in that war.” Of course, supporting their efforts are the some two million Filipino Americans and veterans’ groups who lobbied hard to convince some reluctant members of Congress of the justice of their cause.

Sadly, however, the recognition will come too late for the some 180,000 veterans out of the some 200,000 who waited for too long for the US to make good its promise. Today, only less than 20,000 remain both in the Philippines and in the US.

But the fight is not over yet. While the approval can be regarded as a historic step, there is still a lot of work ahead. The bill, for instance, will have to be voted upon by the full Senate. And the House will have to approve its own version of the bill after which both bills will go to ‘conference’ to reconcile the different provisions. Once the consolidated bill is approved, it will go to the President for signature. Only then will it become law.

There should be no letup on the part of the supporters of the equity bill. “Kulitin n’yo sila,” says Philippine Sen. Richard Gordon.