US House hearing offers ways to help Pinoy war veterans

WASHINGTON – The United States should at the very least provide medical care to Filipino veterans who fought under the American flag in World War II, a ranking US congressman said Monday.

Democrat Rep. Bob Filner of California said a hearing by the House veterans affairs subcommittee on health on June 13 to look into providing access to health care for these veterans was "a step toward addressing the injustices of the past."

The Bush administration has asked the US Congress for a $15 million package annually for over a five-year period from Oct. 1 for medical care for the Filipino war veterans, now in their 70s and 80s.

But for many, especially those in the Philippines, it may be too little too late. The package is heavily tilted in favor of US-based Filipino war veterans, numbering about 11,000. All that the estimated 34,000 veterans in the Philippines get from the package as it is presently structured is a one-time equipment grant of $500,000 for the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City.

"It is time to restore the dignity of the Filipino World War II veterans and to recognize them for their defense of democratic ideals," said Filner, the senior Democrat on the subcommittee, in a letter to the Washington Times.

He called for the repeal of the Rescissions Act of 1946 barring Filipino veterans from receiving US privileges or benefits despite the fact that the Filipinos 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.

The Rescissions Act, passed by Congress shortly after the end of the war, decreed that such rights, privileges and benefits were the obligation of the new government of the Philippines. But the new government in Manila did not have any money for that purpose and the veterans were left to fend for themselves.

In effect, except for those who died or were maimed or separated from active service for physical disability, most of the Filipino veterans were denied the same rights given to other World War II US veterans.

"With the participation of Filipino soldiers so vital to the successful outcome of World War II, it is hard to believe that Congress voted to take away their benefits and recognition that had been promised," Filner said. He has on several occasions said that at the very least medical care should be provided to the veterans.

Filner’s letter was addressed to Sergeant Shaft, pseudonym of Vietnam veteran John Fales, who writes a weekly column on veterans affairs in the conservative newspaper.

The columnist said it was abhorrent that the United States had turned its back on "some of our most loyal and bravest veterans."