Well it has been a full year of back and
forthing all over the place on the
controversial and heated debate over
whether the non U.S. citizen veterans
of the Phillipine Islands, should or
should not receive full VA agency
Comp and Pen disability benefits
on the backs of taxpayer funding.

This was a confounded, and confusing
issue that came first charging out of
the gate under the new Democrat majority
and took all Veterans activists by
surprise because nowhere was it
on any of our agendas as a priority
issue at a time when the entire
VA disability claims system was
utterly broken.

But first under Bob Filner of California,
chairman of the House Veterans Affairs
Committee, then followed by Daniel
Akaka of Hawaii, chairman of the Senate
Veterans Affairs Committee, both
sponsored their side of the Capitol
on this Fillipino Bill.

Once American Veterans found out about
it, the race was on to launch oppositions
everywhere to it, largely because of
it's $5 billion price tag to a military
population who is not holding residency
here in the United States.

Make no mistake, both of these Chairmen
have taken their turns to hoodwink this
story around on the World War II era
use of Fillipino troops by U.S. command.

I have 2 different sides of this breaking
story on the Hill and both are here for
your own read and take on the situation.

While the House apparently passed the
Bill, the Veterans hung tough and
continued their last minute oppositions,
and OOOORRAAAH !! to those who did
because the bill has now gone down
in stunning defeat in the Senate.

Not a minute too soon either, I might
add. Thanks to all who lined up and
lent their voices of NO to this situation
because it does set a very dangerous
precedent for like-kind war scenarios
in the future.

This is not to say that these Veterans
should be left behind without any
war recognition or benefits at all,
but those should come from their own
country and not the USA.

To back up a little and revisit the
facts, during World War II Hawaii was
not yet a state. But both Hawaii and
the Phillipines are calling their
countries "possessions" of the USA.
Does anybody really know what that
means exactly because I sure don't.

For now, Hawaii is for sure a part
of the United States, but again this
does not exactly resolve the statusing
of the country at the time of Pearl
Harbor.

The Phillipines to this day is not
a part of the United States, and
citizens from that country DO need
a VISA to enter this country thereby
firmly establishing their foreign
immigrant standing in international
waters.

The VA agency is a U.S. based,
executive branch agency so how it
has even come to be that they feel
they can apply for this here in
the USA is a real head-scratcher
for sure.

Both of these misguided Chairman
have openly delayed the entire issue
of chemical and hazardous exposure
caess such as the Fort McClellan
Veterans and others which are pending
in the system, at the very expense of
this whole Fillipino matter. This
is a curious and even dangerous
scenario where our own government
is also subverted by our own
government if you can follow that!

Fillipino's have no residency here
so how is it that either the House
or Senate Veterans Committees on
Capitol Hill even have the jurisdiction
to hear such a matter before them
when there are hundreds of far more
pressing issues waiting to be heard
at the Capitol which only involves
Veterans who are born and raised here
in the USA.

There really is a problem here and
Veteran activists who held fast on
their oppositions absolutely DID
do the right thing.

For now, Chairman Akaka is feeling
very wounded and has vowed to reintroduce
the bill in the Senate in the next
session. So Boys, get ready to do it
all over again and I will be there
with ya when ya do as I was for this year.

This is a looting of the system
in the name of foreign immigrants
and you can dress it up in a tuxedo
and call it whatever you like, it
is still a bum in coveralls at the
end of the day and nobody wants
it around in their backyard.

Veterans are truly moving forward
in their understanding of national
issues and in their learning of just
how very important it is to question
and stand up, if necessary, to a system
that is outright lunatic at times
and for no apparent reason either.

Daniel Akaka has had a so-so legislative
season this past year, with very few
home runs. The better part of the year
he spent obsessing over and whining
over PTSD even though it is his own
incompetence at VA hearings which
is contributing to holding that issue
back as well.

Now he has something new to whine about
for the next session.

I bring to you his angered release
today from the Senate on the stunning
victory by USA Veterans who successfully
shot this one down out of the sky
and rightfully so.

Below that, I'll also enter the
House Veterans Committe side of the
issue from the Minority Republican
position, Steve Buyer, who just
about never hits a home run either
on these pressing national issues,
but give him credit, he spotted
this one early on and did what he
could to get it right, even though
it was from a Minority position.

Thanks to everyone who participated
in our VFJ email drive on this
one and showed the might of USA
muscle in ushering this fabulous
defeat.

I bring to you now, what the House
and Senate has said in their own
words regarding this Fillipino veterans
issue from World War II:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 3, 2008


AKAKA VOWS TO CONTINUE FIGHTING FOR FILIPINO WORLD WAR II VETERANS EQUITY

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, issued a statement today regarding legislation to provide recognition to Filipino World War II veterans who served under U.S. military command. Akaka vowed to renew his advocacy in the new Congress next year after efforts to bring the legislation to final passage last week was obstructed in the Senate.

Chairman Akaka said: “The record is clear on the Filipino veterans of World War II. They are not foreigners who fought for a foreign government. They were citizens of the Philippines – then a U.S. possession – who fought under the command of the U.S. military. After World War II, General Omar Bradley and the U.S. government recognized them as U.S. veterans. Tragically, less than a year after they helped us win the war, they lost their veteran status by an Act of Congress. This was a shameful act against our brothers in arms – who fought side-by-side with America ’s greatest generation and risked their lives to rescue American prisoners of war.”

“While Congress voted to establish a nearly $200 million Filipino Veterans Equity fund this year, opponents of Filipino veterans equity successfully blocked the legislation required to provide veteran status and compensation to the few remaining Filipino veterans of World War II. We have been deterred, but we are not defeated. I intend to return to this issue in the next Congress. The march toward equity is not over.”

Akaka is the sponsor of S. 1315, the Veterans’ Benefits Enhancement Act of 2007, an omnibus veterans’ benefits bill which contained provisions to provide Filipino World War II veterans who served under U.S. military command with recognition as veterans, a limited pension, and increased compensation for their twilight years. These provisions were adapted from S. 57, the Filipino Veterans Equity Act, introduced by U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI), Hawaii’s senior Senator. Akaka led a successful floor fight for S. 1315 in the Senate, defeating an amendment to remove the Filipino veterans language and securing Senate passage by a vote of 96 to 1. However, the Filipino veterans’ provisions were stripped in the House of Representatives, and Akaka’s efforts to negotiate a final version of the bill were blocked when the bill was returned to the Senate.

Chairman Akaka’s full statement follows:

The record is clear on the Filipino veterans of World War II. They are not foreigners who fought for a foreign government. They were citizens of the Philippines – then a U.S. possession – who President Franklin D. Roosevelt inducted to fight under the command of the U.S. military. After World War II, General Omar Bradley and the U.S. government recognized them as U.S. veterans. Tragically, less than a year after they helped us win the war, they lost their veteran status by an Act of Congress. This was a shameful act against our brothers in arms – who fought side-by-side with America ’s greatest generation and risked their lives to rescue American prisoners of war

In this Congress, we sought to right what an earlier Congress has done wrong by offering three separate bills that would move toward equity for Filipino veterans. The first was S. 1315, the Veterans’ Benefits Enhancement Act of 2007, which would have recognized Filipino World War II veterans and provided a limited pension, and increased compensation, for their twilight years. This bill, which was adapted from S. 57, the Filipino Veterans Equity Act, introduced by my friend and colleague, Senator Daniel K. Inouye, was approved by the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and passed the Senate, despite obstruction by a small group of Senators. Unfortunately, when S. 1315 returned to the Senate with Congressional adjournment approaching, the provisions for Filipino veterans had been removed.

In an effort to pass something during this Congress, my friend and counterpart on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Chairman Bob Filner pushed a second option: H.R. 6897, a bill to provide a one-time payment to Filipino veterans – less than what S. 1315 would have provided, but more than nothing. At the same time, a third bill moved forward, to provide money for Filipino veterans through the Continuing Resolution to fund the federal government – providing $198 million for a Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund, which would be established by Chairman Filner’s legislation.

With time running out, I sought to convene a conference to negotiate S. 1315. This would have allowed representatives from both chambers and both parties to meet and debate that bill. Unfortunately, members of the Senate blocked my efforts to convene a conference. Overcoming their hold would have required more floor time than we had, and kept the Senate from considering other issues, such as the economic crisis that is confronting our nation. Effectively, my colleagues stopped any chance of the Congress passing S. 1315 with Filipino veterans equity language included, for the rest of this Congress. Chairman Filner’s lump-sum payment bill was also blocked. For the opponents of these bills, the response seems to be to continue to ignore the veterans who have been denied benefits and recognition for over sixty-years. That is not a responsible or appropriate response.

As I mentioned before, this Congress has worked to move Filipino veterans equity forward by three means: a pension, compensation and recognition included in S. 1315; a one-time, lump-sum payment; and by establishing a Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund through the appropriations bill. Opponents have effectively blocked our first two efforts, but I am pleased that the third approach succeeded. While there is still a need for legislation to allow those funds to be paid to Filipino veterans and $198 million is not enough to provide the limited pension and compensation that would have come from S. 1315, this was a significant step forward. In the long march toward equity, we have come closer than ever.

I commend the Filipino advocates for their support, and thank them for their hard work. Democrats, Republicans and independents came together in support of this cause. Filipino veterans who are now grandparents came together with their grandchildren’s generation for this cause. World War II veterans who served with Filipino veterans were joined by other men and women across the nation to support this cause. It has been a long march, and it is not yet over. But if we are ever to secure equity for those who served with us in the darkest days of World War II, we must continue this struggle.

As this Congress ends, I pledge my commitment to continue to work with and for the World War II Filipino veterans in the next Congress. I will continue to fight for final enactment of legislation which not only compensates them, but also recognizes their true status as U.S. veterans. The Senate-passed version of S. 1315 would have done this. I believe that any legislation which does not address the 1946 Rescission Act so as to recognize them for their service is unacceptable. As long as they fight for their recognition, I will fight for it as well.

I was just a boy when I watched, from the roof of my high school dormitory, as Japanese planes bombed nearby Pearl Harbor . The very next day, Japan attacked the Philippines . Both Hawaii and the Philippines were U.S. possessions, and important strategic assets for the U.S. military. Both were attacked that December. For the duration the Second World War, both Hawaii and the Philippines would send their children to battle under the command of the U.S. military.

Today Senator Inouye and I are U.S. Senators and U.S. veterans of World War II. Our Filipino counterparts fought in the same war that we did, under the same command. Having helped us win the war only to lose their benefits, they did without the assistance Senator Inouye and I enjoyed. Now, all of the remaining Filipino veterans are in their twilight years. Too many of them are spending their golden years in pain and in poverty, in Hawaii , the mainland, and the Philippines .

We would not leave our fellow soldiers behind on the battlefield. We will not leave behind the Filipino veterans of fellow World War II, who fought side-by-side with troops from across the U.S. We will continue our fight into the next Congress. This march toward equity is not over.
________________________________________
END of AKAKA Release



Hey Daniel, this is all very touching but
get a clue: the Veterans should be compensated
by their own countries and in Hawaii, that
would be the State level.

Japan bombed your islands not because
you were U.S. "possessions" as you like
to call it, but because you were there
and the next likely pickings to take
over by the Nazi's. Get a clue. The
USA lent "command support" for your troops
since you all didn't have any at the
time. Thank your lucky stars that they
did, but it was all in the name of helping
you all help yourselves to stay out of
the hands of the Nazi's. Those commanders
back in the day could never have predicted
that Hawaii would eventually obtain
statehood with the USA.

The Senate and the House Veterans
Affairs Committees do NOT have jurisdiction
to hear this Fillipino issue. But the
Foreign Relations Committee DOES !!
Stop trying to hoodwink us Americans
with your Pacific Island nonsense.



HERE IS THE COUNTERPART STATEMENT FROM
THE REPUBLICAN MINORITY AT THE HOUSE
VETERANS COMMITTEE, FROM STEVE BUYER,
WHO OPPOSED THE FILLIPINO BILL FROM
THE START AND SOUGHT TO CHALLENGE CHAIRMAN
BOB FILNER ON IT.



September 17, 2008


World War II Filipino Veterans’ Benefits Bill Ordered Referred


Washington, D.C. — Today, the House Committee on Veterans Affairs approved a controversial measure, H.R. 6892, that would provide limited compensation to Filipino Veterans of
World War II. The bill was ordered reported by a voice vote.

The Committee has been at loggerheads over the issue for well over a year, primarily because previously reported legislation, H.R. 760, would have obtained funding by overturning the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims decision in Hartness vs. Nicholson to pay for the new benefit. Committee Ranking Member Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) unleashed a full-scale effort to block the measure because overturning the decision would have eliminated a benefit for elderly, severely disabled, impoverished, wartime veterans. Buyer also fought against a Senate passed bill, S. 1315, which contains the same provision, on the principle that it is wrong to take benefits from one group of veterans to give to another.

Buyer expressed appreciation that H.R. 6892 does not utilize the same funding mechanism. The bill would establish a general Treasury fund known as the ‘Filipino Veterans’ Equity Compensation Fund.’ Subject to availability of appropriations, the $198 million fund would make a one-time payment in the amount of $9,000 for an eligible person who is not a citizen of the , and a $15,000 for an eligible person who is a citizen of the . Though Buyer was relieved that the bill would not eliminate benefits from American veterans, he voiced concern that it was not vetted through the normal legislative process.

“I am very pleased that the Hartness funding has been taken off the table as a means to pay for these benefits,” Buyer said. “And while I understand the Chairman’s desire to move quickly on this, I would like to remind him and the members of the Committee, that we have not held a hearing on this particular bill to learn the position of the Administration, or the views of veterans’ organizations.”

Buyer offered two amendments during the markup. The first amendment, which was unanimously approved by voice vote, inserted language into the bill to provide a standard release for the proposed payments. World War II Filipino veterans, by accepting the payments, would release all further service-related claims against the . The other amendment would utilize the $198 million to fund a veterans’ small business loan program that was terminated in 1986. After a point of order was raised on the germaneness of the amendment, Buyer withdrew it and explained that while the point of order was correct, his intent was to illustrate that $198 million could be better spent on veterans here at home.

“Mr. Chairman, during discussion of the previously mentioned Filipino Veterans Equity bills, my staff contacted the various veteran organizations regarding the use of these funds,” Buyer said. “I agree with the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), and the Gold Star Wives of America (GSW) that there are higher priorities for the use of these funds. These priorities include, but are not limited to, improvements to: Specially Adapted Housing and Specially Adaptive Automobile grants for severely disabled veterans; increases to veterans’ mileage reimbursement rates travelling to VA for compensation exams; increases in supplemental insurance coverage for disabled veterans; and increases to benefits for American surviving spouses.”

Buyer also thanked The American Legion for its strong support of disabled war-time veterans receiving pensions, and opposing the diminishing of earned benefits for one group of veterans in order to fund earned benefits for another group of veterans.

“I commend you for standing by them, even while some others have not,” Buyer said. “The American Legion has stood on principle in its support for disabled veterans, and I thank you. Mr. Chairman, we are a nation at war. We should be devoting our available resources to meeting the needs of our veterans and returning warriors.”

_____________________________________
END of Buyer Release

I spent quite a bit of time in the PI from 66-68, and I can attest that the Phillipino govt's is just about as lawless and corrupt as you can get. That money would disappear and the few WW11 vets that are still alive, would'nt see it, how can you justify $200 million for a handful 80 yr vets ?