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Pinoy Abroad

PHL govt appealing claims of Filipino war veterans


President Benigno Simeon Aquino III on Thursday said the Philippine government is working hard to appeal the Filipino war veterans' claims earlier denied by the United States government. “Our officials are also hard at work in appealing the denied claims of some of our veterans in the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Act of America," he said in a speech during the commemoration of the 67th anniversary of the Leyte Gulf landing. On October 20, 1944, General Douglas MacArthur returned to the Philippines to help defeat the Japanese invaders. The MacArthur Landing Memorial in Palo, Leyte was built to commemorate this historic return. Aquino said a few months ago, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario met with United States Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki to ask for a more liberal system in processing the claims of Filipino veterans. He added the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office is in discussions with the USDVA for the grant of payments to the heirs of the deceased veterans who have approved FVEC claims so that checks will not be forfeited just because spouses of late veterans are absent. “The freedom our country enjoys now—where this country finds itself at present—is a result, in large part, of the efforts of our veterans; and we are making sure that they get what they deserve for the sacrifices they have made for this country," the President said. He further said that the PVAO has been very active in their Pensioners’ Revalidation Program, making certain that their list of pensioners is updated and accurate. “Fraudulent pensioners are the ultimate show of disrespect to those who have served their countries valiantly; and we are ensuring that a few greedy individuals do not pocket funds set aside for our heroes," he said. He added that the government also improved the medical care available to our veterans. He said the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) has widened veteran access to hospitalization services by accrediting 562 government hospitals as of August this year. The VMMC subsidizes the hospital bills not merely of veterans, but also of their qualified dependents. Aquino also mentioned that efforts of his administration to upgrade and modernize the capability and training of the soldiers and provide them with additional benefits and compensation. “Clearly, the lessons of the past are not lost on us. The bravery of our soldiers must be matched by giving them sufficient equipment and compensation so that they may do their jobs to yield the best possible results, without having to worry as much about their families and livelihood," he said. Those present during the event were Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ricky Carandang; Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla; Palo Mayor Remedios Petilla; Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Eduardo Oban; (Ret.) Colonel Francisco San Miguel, Executive Vice President and Secretary General of the Veterans Federation of the Philippines; and other local officials. Also in attendance were US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr., Japanese Ambassador Toshinao Urabe, Counselor for Political Affairs James Christoff of Canada, and Defense Attache Captain Craig White of Australia. - VVP, GMA News