NOTES
NOTES
23 November 1997
The National Federation Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) recently e-mailed me an update on the Filipino Veterans Equity Bill (just before the last recess of the 105th Congress):
1) H.R. 836: There was a total of 178 co-sponsors plus the main sponsor, Ben Gilman. With the recent death of Rep. Capps, the number has decreased to 177. The magic number is 218 for a majority in the House.
2) S. 623: There was a total of 11 co-sponsors plus the main sponsor, Daniel Inouye. The magic number is 51 for a majority in the Senate.
3) The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee marked up the bill but only included burial benefits with no references pertaining to other benefits like pension or medical aid. NaFFAA's Veterans Working Committee asked the Senate to reconsider and send the Equity Bill as it was originally introduced to the Senate floor for debate and voting.
4) Rep. Bob Stump from Arizona, the Chair of the House Veterans Affairs Committee who was once unequivocally against a hearing, has told leaders and advocates of Filipino veterans that he will consider holding a hearing as soon as he receives more documentation related to the case, including proof that Franklin Delano Roosevelt promised Filipino veterans equal benefits.
5) NaFFAA distributed information packets to all Congressmen who have not co-sponsored the bills yet.
Readers who want to help support the lobby in Washington, please visit the JUSTICE FOR FILIPINO VETERANS site. Also, anyone who has access to or has suggestions regarding the documentation required by Rep. Stump, please get in touch.
For more information please contact NaFFAA.
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In the Philippines, presidential candidate Raul S. Roco, has urged the Philippine Congress to act with dispatch on a bill that will give the forgotten veterans who fought during World War II due recognition.
"No matter how paltry and long overdue these benefits may be, we have to act immediately on this bill because many of these forgotten veterans have died, are sick, blind, infirm or are on the verge of dying," Roco said.
I wonder if Ramos intends to do anything about the veterans issue while he is here in the U.S. It will be nice if he exerts a little pressure on his friends in the White House and the U.S. Congress.
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In a recent Daily Inquirer article, Speaker Joe De Venecia was quoted as saying, "If the Lord would bless my humble bid for the presidency, I will devote 30 minutes each day to reading the Bible in prayer and meditation to ensure that God, the national interest, and the welfare of the people will always be foremost in my mind." While I realize that De Venecia is a political juggernaut who is extraordinarily effective as a wheeler and dealer, attempting to strike a deal with God is pushing a tad too far. This tendency of the presidential aspirants to drag God into their camp has gone out hand. It is so insulting to the intelligence of our voters and makes us Filipinos look so medieval.
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