Assumption HS Class of 1977 |
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Assumption HS Class of 1977 |
| Vicky Viray-Mendoza graduated from Assumption High School in 1977and from Assumption College in 1981 with BS Accounting, BSC Business Management and AAS Entrepreneurship. She has a masters iin Public Administration majoring in Public Budget and Finance from George Washington University, Washington D.C., USA. Vicky has been with the World Bank group since 1987. She is currently Operations Analyst and Dissemination Officer of the Operations Evaluation Group, International Finance Corporation. Her previous assignments at IBRD were with the Public Sector, and previous to that, with the Energy, Oil & Gas sector for the East and South Asian regions. Vicky loves to do oils abstracts but she is happiest as publisher and webmaster for the Assumption HS Class of 1977 webpage. | ||
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DECRYING
THE UNFAIR TREATMENT OF THE PHILIPPINE WAR VETERANS by Vicky Viray-Mendoza |
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 t's been more than 50 years since
the end of the Second World War yet Filipino veterans are
still in a long protracted struggle to regain their
honor. The Philippines was a colony of the United States
at that time and Filipinos were considered U.S.
nationals. Filipino soldiers were promised equal U.S.
veteran benefits in 1941, but it was later rescinded by
an unfair and discriminatory rider to the Congressional
Recission Act of 1946--ten months before the Second World
War officially ended in December. This was obviously done
by the 79th US Congress to intimidate the Filipinos from
exercising their rights upon attainment of their much
sought after independence from America after the war.Coming from a military family myself, it is very difficult for me to ignore this issue. During the Philippine centennial celebration in Washington D.C., as I stood and watched the parade, I saw the aged veterans now in their 70s and 80s march in their old uniforms decorated with shiny medals. I had not realized that I was wearing my Navy cap, which made me stand out in the crowd. I also was not aware, until the veterans gave us a small salute that beside me stood a young man in his late 20s. He was wearing an Army cap. Together we proudly saluted back to the veterans in our own awkward way as they marched down Pennsylvania Avenue. We joked about our caps and later found a common bond when he said that his dad was sent to the U.S. military academy in West Point a year before my dad went to the U.S. naval academy in Annapolis. During the next few hours, we exchanged stories as if we had known each other from long ago. We took comfort in knowing that both of us come from military families. We understood how a civilian's idealism or nightmare could become a living reality. We expect honor for those who have given their lives for the country. But since 1946, Filipino veterans have been seeking redress from the U.S. government for having deprived them of the military benefits and honor they truly deserve for their service in the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE). Filipino war veterans are fighting for full U.S. veteran benefits and privileges for wartime military service as promised to them in 1941 by then President Franklin Roosevelt and Gen. Douglas MacArthur. Because of the underlying politics of negotiations, however, the benefits may not be in full. The First Recission Act of 1946 granted veterans' benefits to those who served, including members of more than 60 other nations like Italy, France and Germany. These benefits include total disability pension, medical coverage and burial benefits. A rider, however, explicitly singled out Filipino soldiers by disqualifying their participation as scouts and guerilla units. Their participation was no longer considered part of the U.S. Army service. This meant that the Filipino soldiers were to be denied their benefits under the GI Bill of Rights originally promised to them in 1941. In the succeeding years, this rider resulted in U.S. lawmakers' resistance against acknowledging the efforts of the Filipino war veterans despite the statements of President Harry Truman after signing into law the First Recission Act of 1946. Truman stated that "the passage and approval of this legislation [does] not release the United States from its moral obligation to provide for the heroic Philippine veterans who sacrificed so much for the common cause during the war." He further added that the Filipino soldiers "fought as American nationals under the American flag and under the direction of our military leaders. They fought with gallantry and courage under most difficult conditions...the Army of the Philippine Commonwealth was taken into the Armed Forces of the United States by Executive Order of the President of the United States on July 26, 1941. That order has never been revoked or amended. I consider it a moral obligation of the United States to look after the welfare of Philippine Army veterans." In the 1980s, President Corazon Aquino focused once again on the war veterans' plight. U.S. lawmakers began to introduce legislation to rectify this monumental injustice to the Filipino veterans. In 1996, a concurrent resolution was passed in both houses of Congress to recognize and honor the Filipino World War II veterans for their defense of democratic ideals and their important contribution to the outcome of the Second World War. The Filipino veterans continue in a death march as they fight for benefits rightfully theirs. They fought for freedom, justice and democracy. It is the biggest irony after fighting for years during the Second World War. President Roosevelt made a solemn pledge that the Filipino soldiers would be treated equally with their American counterparts, but Filipino veterans continue to suffer the worst form of injustice by not being duly recognized. A few currently receive half of what a regular U.S. veteran receives. "Not recognizing the Filipino veterans is completely unjust and immoral," said Rep. Bob Filner (D-Cal.). "We have compensated veterans from 65 other countries who helped us during the Second World War and we have not done so with the Filipinos. That says something about discrimination." To even qualify for U.S. veteran's benefits, a Filipino soldier would have to be 100 percent disabled and have an annual income below $8,500. How could Filipino soldiers have known that democracy could also mean the tyranny of the majority? The minority lost its voice and their cause fell into the cracks. The Filipino veterans continue to be humiliated by the very democracy they fought for. President George Bush, a World War II hero himself, was sympathetic to the plight of the Filipino veterans and was quoted to have said: "Great nations, like great men, must keep their word. When America says something, America means it. Whether it is a treaty or agreement or a vow made on marble steps." The beginning of 1996 saw both houses of the U.S. Congress finally passing concurrent resolutions recognizing and honoring the Filipino veterans. We should acknowledge the actions of U.S. lawmakers to actively help the Filipino war veteran's cause. A bipartisan group in the House headed by Rep. Bob Pilner (D-Cal.) and Ben Gilman (R-NY), and in the Senate by Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) and Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) introduced the resolution. In the same year, President Bill Clinton signed the proclamation "Honoring the Filipino Veterans of World War II" and urged "all Americans to recall the courage, sacrifice and loyalty of the Filipino veterans and honor them for their contributions to our freedom." However, the 104th U.S. Congress failed to pass into law the Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 1995 (HR-836 and S-55), which was intended to meet the needs of aging veterans by approving at least a small portion of the benefits given to U.S. Armed Forces veterans of World War II. In the past year, U.S. lawmakers have begun to understand the explicit discrimination against the Filipino veterans. In 1998, the Filipino Veterans Equity Act languished in the 105th Congress under the Clinton Administration because of financial reasons. The U.S. Congressional Budget Office states that it would cost $4.5 billion over five years for full benefits for all Filipino veterans. The sponsors counter that the amount is an exaggeration because qualified Filipinos would be receiving veterans' benefits instead of the welfare income they currently receive. In July 1998, Rep. Bob Stump (R-Ariz.) expressed a willingness to look into "affordable proposals." It is sadly apparent that Rep. Stump, chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee, and the Veterans Administration are looking at the issue solely from a financial angle. The ultimate objective of the Filipino veteran is not money but recognition and dignity. These soldiers endured so much during the war and continue to do so in time of peace. Yet it has been more than 50 years since the end of the Second World War and the act to rectify this grave injustice has yet to be passed. "This is not a matter of dollars and cents," said Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II (D-Mass.). "It's a matter of morality." There were more than 142,000 Filipino war veterans who fought as U.S. nationals in the Second World War. Today, there are about 70,000 surviving veterans. About 50,000 veterans are in the Philippines and about 20,000 are in the U.S, and most of them are poor. Help the Filipino war veterans win their "Equity Now" fight during their lifetime. Please write to President Bill Clinton or your local U.S. Senator or member of the U.S. Congress to sponsor the Filipino Veterans Equity Act and help enact it into law. This will allow Filipino war veterans to regain their honor and dignity in their twilight years with full military benefits reinstated. Surely any war veteran deserves more than presidential pledges, platitudes and awkward salutes from us. __________ |
Department of Veterans Affairs In Reply Refer To: 213 November 10, 1998 Ms. Vicky
Viray-Mendoza Dear Ms. Viray-Mendoza, Your inquiry to the President, regarding potential benefits available to veterans of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, has been referred to me for reply. The President appreciates the interest you have expressed in this matter. This issue had undergone extensive discussion and careful consideration in both the executive and legislative branches of Government. As a result, the President has proposed, in his fiscal year 1999 budget submission, to pay full disability compensation benefits to Filipino veterans and their survivors residing in the U.S. who currently receive these benefits at half the level that their U.S. counterparts receive. Veterans who served as Scouts, members of the Commonwealth Army, or as recognized guerrillas, along with their families, have very capably presented their interests and the reasons why they seek these changes. We have had numerous opportunities to meet with individuals and groups to assure a full and open dialogue on the legislation which is currently pending. While it remains uncertain how the proposal will proceed in the legislative process, and whether funding sources exist to support its provisions, this in no way diminishes the deep respect we feel for all veterans who served with the American Forces in the Philippines during World War II. I wish you only the best, and I appreciate your interest in this matter. Sincerely yours, signed:
Robert J. Epley, Director By Direction of the Under Secretary for Benefits |
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