WASHINGTON D.C. – Eric Lachica, executive director of the Arlington-based American Coalition of Filipino Veterans (ACFV), last week denied that Rep. Bob Filner (D-CA) had criticized him for his lobbying activities in Congress on behalf of Filipino veterans of World War II.

He was reacting to a story by-lined by Romeo P. Marquez, editor of the “Philippine Village Voice” (PhilVoiceNews@aol.com) in San Diego quoting Rep. Filner as denouncing Lachica for collecting “fees” from veterans and for “pruning down veterans’ demand” for full equity under the bill he is following through in the House of Representatives.

Marquez said Filner made the accusations against Lachica during an interview with officials of the Filipino World War II Veterans Foundation in his office in San Diego July 5. The story was published in the July 14 issue of the Voice. The office of Rep. Filner did not respond to the Manila Mail’s e-mailed request for clarification or confirmation of the Marquez story. Lachica responded to the Manila Mail’s request by issuing a press release with a picture of him with Reps. Filner and Darrell Issa and others. The photo was taken before the markup in the House veterans committee on the Filipino veterans’ equity bill July 17.

Lachica said Marguez’s story about him was “untrue and without merit,” adding that ACFV will make a full response to the allegations in the Marquez article about accountability in ACFV. He said the response will be made after the board meets “to review, revise and approve the report of our teleconference.”

As for Filner’s criticism of him, Lachica said that before the markup session, “Rep. Filner denied these allegations to several news reporters and to me personally and Mr. Rumingan, ACFV service officer.” He also quoted Filner as saying, “those were not my words,” referring to the quotes in the Marquez story. Lachica said Filner added that “I may have strategic and tactical differences with Mr. Lachica...but I didn’t say those words.” Lachica added that when Congressman Issa joined them, Filner, said: “With Congressman Issa and Lachica, we can win the Equity bill.” He even gave us the thumbs up, Lachica said.

The Marquez story which was distributed by him to the Manila Mail and other publication in the US, said Filner assailed the practice of Filipino American lobbyist Lachica of collecting fees from Filipino veterans for a service his office gives for free, adding this was “a scam” that bilks them of government monetary assistance. The story continued:

“It’s terrible what he’s doing,” said the San Diego lawmaker, pointing to the highly-visible Lachica, executive director of ACFV which claims to represent some 4,000 members. In a rare display of contempt, Filner said Lachica was “the one who sold us out” in congressional deliberations by pruning down veterans’ demand for full equity to the detriment of the great majority of veterans in the United States and the Philippines.

“He (Lachica) lives off these vulnerable people,” Filner said on Thursday (July 5) during a meeting in his office with Col. Romy Monteyro, adviser of the Filipino World War II Veterans Foundation of San Diego, and Commander Manuel B. Braga, who heads the group. “Filner took the occasion to acknowledge Monteyro, chair of the recently-formed congressional lobby group NAFVE (National Alliance for Veterans Equity), as his “dancing partner” — his metaphor to describe the significant role he plays in the ongoing campaign to secure full benefits for all Filipino veterans currently in the United States and those in the Philippines.

“Lachica is in some scams,” Filner stressed. “He’s doing what I do for free; what the Department of Veterans Affairs do for free. It’s ridiculous," he added. Contacted for comment, Lachica said he had been sick and pointed to the ACFV vice president for membership, Franco Arcebal, in Los Angeles to answer the interview questions. Then Marquez went on to say that he held back the story to wait for Lachica’s response which never came. In the many years that Filner has advocated for Filipino veterans, this is the first time that he took a direct swipe at one of the most visible lobbyists for the cause. “It’s a scam,” he said of Lachica’s work. “The Filipino veterans don’t need Eric Lachica. He lives off these vulnerable people," Filner emphasized. He asked that Lachica makes an accounting of the monies he collected from veterans.

Lachica is perhaps the most-photographed son of a veteran who has taken an active role in the fight for benefits. His success in lobbying is in getting what critics called ‘bread crumbs’ — paltry doleouts for the short haul and small panacea to ease temporary hardships.
Filner said Lachica’s insistence on getting these sets of benefits for the veterans has given other lawmakers a “convenient cover” to diffuse the demands and lower them instead of providing full equity benefits."

Marquez continued:
“Now we have to compromise with the compromise after he sold us out,” Filner stated.
At one point during the meeting, Filner referred to Lachica as “toxic” to the cause, meaning he has poisoned and undermined the efforts of groups bigger than his ACFV, whose president, Patrick Ganio Sr., is considered the nominal head.

Sometime ago, Lachica testified that veterans in the Philippines needed only $200 to survive, a statement that cheapened the veterans themselves and their cause, according to Filner. Both Lachica and Ganio are being blamed for the failure of the US Senate Veterans Affairs Committed headed by Senator Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) to pass a full equity bill for all the Filipino veterans. Filner said he is preparing the House version of a bill similar to what the US Senate Veterans Affairs committee under Senator Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) has reported out last week, which provides full equity benefits for US-based veterans.
(Some parts of the story were deleted because they were based on second hand information.)