Review of Veterans Act to ensure Pinoy vets get fair shake

United States Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas Jr. on Sunday said that the review on the Philippine Veterans Act ordered by newly reelected U.S. President Barack Obama should bring to light the “hardships and barriers” that veterans face in order that they can claim their benefits. “And that is something we applaud," said Thomas during the Veterans' Day ceremony at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in Taguig City. "We are looking forward to their meetings, their deliberations, and their decisions," he added. More than 250,000 Filipinos fought under the US flag in World War II but the U.S. Congress later stripped them of promised benefits. Then U.S. President Harry Truman signed the Rescission Act of 1946, where the service of Filipinos “shall not be deemed to be or to have been service in the military or national forces of the United States or any component thereof or any law of the United States conferring rights, privileges or benefits." According to Philippine Veterans Legion National Commander Teodorico P. Calica, a witness to the surrender of the Japanese Army led by Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita in Kiangan, Ifugao on September 2, 1945 and one of the youngest Filipino WWII veterans, the 65 countries allied with the U.S. during World War II received their benefits – unlike the Filipino soldiers who were singularly denied theirs. "Kami lang dito sa Pilipinas ang na-discriminate," Calica told GMA News Online. In 2009, the U.S. government sought to rectify this and Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The act had a Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Program provision, which provided for a one-time payment of $15,000 to each Filipino veteran in the United States and $9,000 to those living in the Philippines. According to Thomas, since the enactment of the compensation program, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Manila Regional Office and Outpatient Clinic has provided over $200M to 18,530 veterans and their families – "surpassing the estimated beneficiary target of 18,000." "On top of these one time payments, VA Manila also disperses $16 million per month in disability compensation packages to 15,000 beneficiaries," said Thomas during Sunday’s Veteran’s Day commemoration at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in Taguig City. Improperly denied However, the Filipino veteran’s community said that thousands of veterans had their claims denied. U.S. authorities did not accept records from the Philippines which were usually the former soldiers’ sole proof of service. Earlier, Obama aide and co-chair of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Chris Lu acknowledged the problem. "We also have heard from many Filipino veterans who have been impeded from filing claims or believe their claims were improperly denied," Lu wrote on a White House blog.   He said that the Pentagon, Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Archives and Record Administration were setting up a working group to assess the issue and "ensure that all applications receive thorough and fair review."   "This is part of the Obama administration's ongoing efforts to honor the contributions of all veterans in their service to our country," Lu explained. Not in the list To exemplify the point, World War II veteran Leonila Villanueva informed Ambassador Thomas after Sunday’s ceremony that she was denied the benefits promised veterans. "'Yung equity ko na $15,000, wala, hindi binibigay," Villanueva told GMA News Online. "Mayroon naman akong papeles, hindi ako binigyan ng equity dahil wala raw sa listahan ang pangalan ko." Thomas assured Villanueva that President Obama's new working group was going to look into it. "I can't promise you that there will be a positive result but they are going to look into it. They are going to come here and talk to people so you hang in there.” The ambassador added, “No matter what, thank you for your service." — DVM, GMA News