Vets equity bill has 80% chance passing - RP envoy

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Philippine Ambassador to the United States Willy Gaa optimistically said Thursday there is an 80 percent chance the U.S. Senate will pass the proposed Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 2007 despite the objection from the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Gaa made this assessment after meeting with Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho, ranking member of the committee on veterans affairs, on Wednesday. “I was convinced that this bill has a big chance of passing – 80%, which is good enough because it has not gone this far. For the first time, this bill has been set for a hearing. We are very hopeful something good will come out," Gaa said in an interview at the embassy. Otherwise known as S. 57, the equity bill, authored by Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawai’i), aims to give equal benefits to Filipinos who fought in the World War II alongside American soldiers under the U.S. flag. The ambassador said he also informed Sen. Craig of the April 5, 2007 letter President Arroyo sent to U.S. President George W. Bush assuring that even when the equity bill is enacted, Filipino World War II veterans will continue to receive $100 in old age pension from the Philippine government. Shared responsibility In the April 11 public hearing of the Senate veterans affairs committee, Sen. Craig expressed concern that once they approve S.57, the Philippine government will stop fulfilling its obligation of giving $100 in pension to the surviving 13,000 Filipino veterans who opted to stay in the Philippines. Craig said compensating the Filipino war veterans ought to be a "shared responsibility" between the American and Philippine governments. “(President Arroyo’s letter) takes away that argument as a bar to grant pension (by the U.S. government)," Gaa said. According to the ambassador, Sen. Craig clarified that he understands the position of the Filipino veterans in so far as getting equal benefits as their American counterparts is concerned, in recognition to their historical contributions in fighting alongside U.S. soldiers during the war. “(Craig) has certain concerns but I came out (of the meeting) with the impression that he is willing to support… as soon as we reconcile certain differences. I am optimistic," Gaa said. Craig believes that it will be unfair for U.S. soldiers and some 7,000 Filipino veterans who have settled in different states in America away from their families, if some 13,000 Filipino veterans who opted to stay in the Philippines will receive the same benefits that they are getting considering the disparity in the standard of living between the U.S. the Philippines. The $7,329 worth of benefits that U.S. veterans are getting has more value when spent in the Philippines, where prices of commodities are lower. Gaa said the embassy is now gathering data in the Philippines and consulting with Filipino veterans to address Craig’s concerns. “We cannot just foist our own ideas on (the veterans)." Sympathetic legislators Another factor that boosts the passage of S. 57 is that the veterans affairs committees both in the Senate and House are chaired by Democrats, particularly by lawmakers who have always been sympathetic to the plight of Filipino veterans. Senators Daniel K. Akaka and Inouye have been pushing since 1992 for Filipino war veterans to be granted full benefits at par with their American counterparts. Both came from Hawai’i, where thousands of Filipinos turned-U.S. naturalized citizens and their descendants are residing. Akaka is the chairman of the veterans’ affairs committee. Inouye is a World War II veteran himself. Gaa however, believes: “The American people whether Republican or Democrat, are convinced of the justiciability of the claim of our Filipino veterans and therefore, will think as one in giving these benefits regardless of their politics." Expected opposition In regard to the Department of Veterans’ opposition to the bill because of the huge costs it would entail, Gaa said, “It was expected." “VA usually protects the welfare of the veterans. Their position is, once (the benefits are granted), the amount will adversely affect the current benefits of U.S. veterans," he explained. “But VA’s current position is not an absolute non-support of the bill," Ambassador Gaa averred. Once S. 57 is passed, the U.S. government would need an additional $518 million in the first year of its implementation. This covers $510 million in medical and memorial benefits and $8.8 million in administrative costs. The estimated cost does not include the 100 percent increase the VA’s operations in Manila would incur, according to Ronald R. Aument, deputy undersecretary of the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Its current budget is $6.3 million. “It will double the workload and increase disability pension claims. We would have to be also prepared to adjust staffing," Aument said in last week’s hearing of the Senate veterans affairs committee. – GMANews.TV