Philippine diplomat urges vets' benefits
By Kapono Dowson
Advertiser Staff Writer
The United States needs to give Filipino veterans of World War II the same benefits as the U.S. soldiers they fought next to, the Philippine ambassador to Washington said yesterday.
"Please address the injustices to our Filipino veterans who are diminishing by the day," Albert del Rosario said at Manila's consulate in Honolulu.
Philippine ambassador Albert del Rosario, seeks help for Filipino veterans who fought in World War II.
During World War II, the Philippines was a U.S. possession, and in 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an order that conscripted Filipino soldiers into the U.S. military. However, after the war in 1946, Congress passed the Rescission Act, which denied pensions and benefits to most Filipino soldiers even though they "fought under the American flag," Rosario said.
As many as 4,000 Filipino veterans in Hawai'i would be affected if Congress passes the House's Veterans Equity Bill, Rosario said. He estimated about 13,000 veterans in the United States and 48,000 in the Philippines would benefit.
The cost of medical and pension benefits from the House bill would be about $360 million a year, he said.
The Senate version of the bill puts the cost at about $60 million a year.
Joe Gonzales, president of the Filipino American Veterans of World War II, said Rosario asked Hawai'i's World War II Filipino veterans to gather 20,000 signatures on a letter to Congress urging restoration of Filipino veterans rights.
"We already have 12,000 signatures," said Gonzales.
During his five-day Hawai'i visit, Rosario met with Gov. Ben Cayetano, Mayor Jeremy Harris and other leaders. He also visited the new Filipino Community Center in Waipahu and commended the Filipino community for its unity in building the $14 million center.
