PNoy: War veterans new inspiration vs poverty, graft

The country’s war veterans – especially those who suffered and died after the Fall of Bataan during World War II – should serve as inspiration for the present generation of Filipinos to fight graft and poverty, President Benigno Aquino III said Saturday. Speaking at the Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) rites in Bataan, Aquino said Filipinos must particularly learn from the veterans the spirit of service, especially now that the country faces “new foes." “Our generation has a lot to learn from our veterans. We would do well to emulate the spirit of service that they exhibited, especially now we are facing new foes: corruption and poverty.... Let us learn to fulfill our collective responsibilities, let us show our veterans that their sacrifices have not gone to waste," he said. The President said that while the road we have to walk on is long and there are many problems that lie ahead, his administration will remain sincere in finding solutions to such challenges. The problem of poverty was highlighted Friday when a Social Weather Stations survey showed hunger and poverty going up – with up to 4.1 million families experiencing hunger and 10.4 million families considering themselves poor. “Mahaba-haba pa po ang ating tatahakin. Marami pa tayong mga panganib at at suliraning lalampasan. Patuloy tayong makikipaglaban sa katiwalian at kahirapan. Makakaasa po kayo na magpapatuloy ang sinseridad ng ating pamahalaan sa pagtataguyod at paghahanap ng lunas sa sangkaterbang suliranin na ating dinatnan. Wala pong magbabago. Kayo pa rin ang boss ko, bilin ko lang po, manatili tayong nagtutulungan at nagdadamayan," Aquino said. Aquino feted the country’s WW II veterans, especially those who suffered and died after the Fall of Bataan, saying, "Had it not been for their sacrifice, the Philippines would not be where it is now." This is one reason why the nation marks Philippine Veterans’ Week along with Araw ng Kagitingan, “to show our appreciation to each and every one of you who have sacrificed so much for the liberty of our nation." “I know that you our veterans may have lost some battles during those times. But your courage and love for country became instruments in winning a larger war, a war to awaken the Filipino heart which allowed us to achieve independence," he told the war veterans who attended Saturday’s event. Never-ending gratitude Aquino said the nation continues to show its gratitude to the veterans three generations after World War II, “by taking care of our veterans and their families." “More than seven decades after, we still remember your sacrifices because your heroism stands the test of time. And for that we remain eternally indebted to all of you," he said. He said his administration's acts of gratitude are expressed in:

* Health care for veterans where the Veterans’ Memorial Medical Center upgraded its equipment and facilities including the operating room and Intensive Care Unit; * Having the Philippine Veterans’ Affairs Office make arrangements with more hospitals to give veterans and their families an P800 subsidy for every day in confinement; * Health insurance for qualified veterans; * Faster processing by the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) of benefits.

Aquino also said the government is closely watching the implementation of the Philippine Veterans Equity Compensation Act signed by US President Barack Obama II in 2009. Under the law, Filipino war veterans may be entitled to a compensation of $9,000 for non-US citizens and $15,000 for US citizens. Some 18,000 veterans have benefited from this as of December 2010, he said. On the other hand, Aquino also said the government has moved quickly to purge its pension program of ghost pensioners, saving some P4 billion in the process. He said that in February 2011, the government looked into alleged ghost pensioners, some names dating back to the Philippine-Spanish War. Aquino said the Department of National Defense continues to clean up the list of pensioners and is implementing a direct remittance pension processing system. Such a system aims to ferret out the fake pensioners by looking at those who had not opened their bank books in one year. He also said the system has benefited some 30,000 World War II veterans as of 2009, and slashed by half the government’s debts to veterans. Japan reiterates remorse At Saturday’s rites, Japan reiterated its remorse for the damage caused by Japanese soldiers during WW II, and stressed Japan has since been reborn as a peace-loving nation. “Let me reiterate my greatest tribute ... and my heartfelt apologies and deep sense of remorse for the damages caused by the Japanese forces in the Philippines during WW II, including the tragic Bataan Death March. Let me also state that after the war, Japan was reborn as a peace-loving nation and postwar Japan has ... resolved to contribute to the peace and prosperity of the world," Japanese Ambassador Makoto Katsura said. Katsura also said he was “deeply moved" by the Filipino people’s noble spirit of reconciliation. US urges efforts for peaceful future For his part, US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. said it is time to work for a peaceful future. “Our challenge today [is not] to simply say we despise war and we wish to end violence. We must work tirelessly for a world of peace and a better future for all of our children, to devote our energy and our efforts toward a new and prosperous tomorrow and to learn from our past, never to repeat it," he said. “We are here today not only to thank our brave soldiers who perished for the cause of freedom but to honor their memories by carrying on their legacy. My friends, let us not allow our past to become polar. Let us instead work together for a better tomorrow. As President John F. Kennedy famously said, as we express our gratitude we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them," he said. — LBG, GMA News