Rep. Bob Filner, Rep. Randy Cunningham, (2nd and 4th from left), Maj. Gen. Delfin Lorenzana (ret) . and Nazario Santos of Filam Veterans Post 7476 (left) shake hands during the nationwide video conference.

Joining Filner were Reps. Randy Â?DukeÂ? Cunningham (R-Escondido)and and Mike Honda, (D-San Jose). Collectively, they said Â?itÂ?s not a matter of money, itÂ?s a matter of justice, respect and dignity. We are waging a bipartisan effort, the Filipino community can do so also.

Cunningham, for himself, urged supporters of the veterans not to give up in their campaign to pass the equity bills. Filner urged the Republican-Controlled House to conduct a Â?positiveÂ? hearing on his bill to benefit veterans in the Philippines and the US. This bill is supported by the Philippine government. Cunningham, a former decorated US Navy pilot, urged veteran supporters to build an Â?educational movement... to work with the chairmen" in Congress like the new House VA Committee chairman Rep. Steve Buyer (R-Indiana) and House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Illinois).

He stressed the need to Â?speak from the heart," and to avoid Â?partisan attacks... with the Republican majority...trying to work within a budget...[and] destroy all that we are working for." He suggested to the veteran leaders and activists to talk and inform mainstream groups like VFW, Rotary Clubs and college groups and to involve celebrities in the campaign.

The Evans proposal came up, but in their words, Â?The (allocation of) $22M is not relevant to this discussion on HR 302." Cunningham was more prominent in his support for bipartisan efforts. Cunningham said he plans to meet with Chairman Buyer with Filner to arrange for a Â?positiveÂ? hearing on his bill.

Avelino Asuncion, 85, the visiting chair of the San Diego chapter of ACFV, who watched the conference in a screening room in Rayburn building on Capitol Hill said, Â?We must heed CunninghamÂ?s advice to win equity pensions this year. Duke sits on the powerful Appropriation Committee. He may be able to convince Chairman Buyer and Speaker Hastert to deliver the $22 Million pension budget." Asuncion was a prisoner of war in Capas, Tarlac in 1942 and a retired public school administrator. He is runs the seniorsÂ? service center in National City. He was joined in the screening room by Romeo Andrada, 82, a veteran from San Diego, Gomersindo Bondad, 76, a veteran leader from San Francisco with his wife and daughter, and Eric Lachica, executive director of the Arlington-based ACFV advocacy group. On February 23, Rep. Lane Evans (D-Illinois), a Vietnam veteran and the ranking member of the House Veterans" Affairs Committee, offered the DemocratsÂ? Â?realisticÂ? views and estimates in the House VA Committee FY 2006 budget submission.

The EvansÂ? proposal included a $22 Million line item providing the appropriation for Filipino veterans pension.

The two-hour televideo conference in San Diego was hosted by Rep. Bob Filner. Filner said, Â?the purpose... is to share ideas and plan strategy for the next steps to be taken." Participating in the discussion were Rep. Mike Honda (D-San Jose), the vice-chair of the Democratic National Committee, and leaders of the National Network for Veterans Equity in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago, and the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) in Washington, Seattle, San Diego and Houston.