Solons to go to US to press passage of law on RP war vets
The Filipino legislators, led by Zambales Representative Antonio Diaz, chair of the House committee on veterans' affairs, are due in Washington on April 12
A group of Filipino lawmakers are preparing to leave for the United States to lobby for the passage of the Filipino Veterans' Equity Bill in the US Congress.
Muntinlupa Representative Rufino Rozzano Biazon said the bill, which could provide up to $90 million a year to some 18,000 surviving Filipino veterans of World War II, is up for floor debates in the US Congress.
"But being an election year, we are hoping that Americans of Filipino ancestry -- estimated at about four million -- will make themselves felt so that candidates and parties will not just ignore us," said Biazon, vice chair of the House committee on national defense.
The Filipino legislators, led by Zambales Representative Antonio Diaz, chair of the House committee on veterans' affairs, are due in Washington on April 12. They will meet key American legislators and call on an estimated four million Americans of Filipino ancestry to help push the bill.
Biazon said he is joining the team together with Pasig Representative Roman Romulo, Undersecretary Ernesto Carolina of the Philippine Veterans' Affairs Office and a representative from the Veterans' Federation of the Philippines.
"It's a 50-50 chance for us. But we have to hope that it will pass," Biazon told the Philippine Daily Inquirer. "We have supporters in the US (House) and Senate who will help."
The veterans equity bill, which would give Filipino veterans the same benefits as their American counterparts, was introduced by Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye in the US Senate and by California Representative Bob Filner in the US House.
In a report, the Office of the Veterans Affairs at the Philippine Embassy in Washington described the veterans as in their mid 80s with "very poor access to health care and dying at the rate of 10 percent." By 2015 all the veterans would have passed away, it said.
With National Heroes Day on the calendar next week, Biazon said it was only right to give the lobby effort their best shot.
"To not even try to have it passed is to ignore the sacrifices our veterans made for this country," Biazon said. By Norman Bordadora - Philippine Daily Inquirer
Muntinlupa Representative Rufino Rozzano Biazon said the bill, which could provide up to $90 million a year to some 18,000 surviving Filipino veterans of World War II, is up for floor debates in the US Congress.
"But being an election year, we are hoping that Americans of Filipino ancestry -- estimated at about four million -- will make themselves felt so that candidates and parties will not just ignore us," said Biazon, vice chair of the House committee on national defense.
The Filipino legislators, led by Zambales Representative Antonio Diaz, chair of the House committee on veterans' affairs, are due in Washington on April 12. They will meet key American legislators and call on an estimated four million Americans of Filipino ancestry to help push the bill.
Biazon said he is joining the team together with Pasig Representative Roman Romulo, Undersecretary Ernesto Carolina of the Philippine Veterans' Affairs Office and a representative from the Veterans' Federation of the Philippines.
"It's a 50-50 chance for us. But we have to hope that it will pass," Biazon told the Philippine Daily Inquirer. "We have supporters in the US (House) and Senate who will help."
The veterans equity bill, which would give Filipino veterans the same benefits as their American counterparts, was introduced by Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye in the US Senate and by California Representative Bob Filner in the US House.
In a report, the Office of the Veterans Affairs at the Philippine Embassy in Washington described the veterans as in their mid 80s with "very poor access to health care and dying at the rate of 10 percent." By 2015 all the veterans would have passed away, it said.
With National Heroes Day on the calendar next week, Biazon said it was only right to give the lobby effort their best shot.
"To not even try to have it passed is to ignore the sacrifices our veterans made for this country," Biazon said. By Norman Bordadora - Philippine Daily Inquirer
posted by OlongapoCity Zambales at
6:16 AM
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