Fatigue or indifference?

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By Rodel Rodis
INQUIRER.net

Posted date: February 26, 2008


Two months ago, I proposed to the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), which advocates for the Filipino WW II veterans, to direct each of its 12 regional chapters to sponsor local activities to mark the 62nd anniversary of the infamous Rescission Act of February 19, 1946.
The purpose: to highlight the law that stripped Filipino veterans of the USAFFE of their US military benefits and mobilize support for the Filipino Veterans Equity Bill pending in the US Congress. I also suggested that we distribute 500,000 armbands inscribed with “2/18/46 – Rescission Act” to supporters all over the US.

My proposal was tabled for future discussion. February 18, 2007 came and went with only a march-forum in Los Angeles and a wreath-laying ceremony in Washington DC to commemorate it. When I went to Washington DC two weeks ago to lobby the US Congress to support the bill, I wrote about my concern that the Filipino veterans were getting caught in the crosshairs of the anti-foreigner anti-immigrant sentiment of Republican lawmakers. Unlike columns on other subjects, I received no feedback from readers about this issue.

Was this an indication that the Filipino community has lost interest in the fight of our Filipino WW II veterans to regain the benefits denied them 62 years ago?

Was the level of interest in the community always a mile wide but only an inch deep? In other words, was the Filipino community leadership’s professed interest in the issue not actually shared by the Filipino community at large?

Is there a Filipino veterans "compassion fatigue" with the community somehow developing numbness to due to constant media stories on the plight of suffering Filipino WW II veterans?

These are questions our community should raise and grapple with. Honest answers to them should guide us in our campaign for the veterans.

It may be an indication not just of community-wide indifference to the veterans issue but simply of an indifference to all issues. For instance, this week marks the 22nd anniversary of People Power, perhaps the most shining moment in Philippine history, the spark that ignited similar People Power uprisings in South Korea, Taiwan and all of Eastern Europe. But there are no celebrations of this glorious moment anywhere in the Filipino community this week. Why?

Five months ago, the Filipino community expressed outrage at the veiled attack on Philippine-educated physicians in the premiere episode of “Desperate Housewives” on September 30, 2007. There were demonstrations, on-line petitions (signed by 150,000 people), a barrage of protest letters and e-mails to ABC and a national conference in Las Vegas in November to mobilize the community to demand a meaningful on-air apology from ABC.

But three months after the November conference, the issue has been forgotten. ABC dangled the carrot of a collaborative partnership with NaFFAA to accept Filipino interns into ABC, a carrot apparently sufficient to prompt NaFFAA to discourage any lawsuits or protest actions against the network.

With all the Democrat-Republican, liberal-conservative, pro-GMA/anti-GMA divides in the Filipino community, it was believed that support for the Filipino WW II veterans was the one issue that all sides could agree on and rally behind.

But there are divisions even on this issue. There are supporters of the veterans who believe that the community should not compromise on full equity, that Filipino veterans in the Philippines should receive the same benefits as those in the US.

But even that formerly inflexible position has given way to support for the proposal of Rep. Bob Filner (D-CA), chair of the House Veterans Committee, whose bill would provide $900 a month to the 6,000 US-based veterans, and $500 a month to Philippine-based veterans. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), this would amount to $1-B over 10 years or about $100-M a year.

There are those who believe that the veterans should get whatever they can get. As the ranks of the surviving veterans dwindle at an exponential rate, what good would it do them if the US Congress passes a bill giving all the veterans full equity several years from now and no one is left alive to receive it?

A group of aging veterans supports the Senate bill of Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI), chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, which would also provide $900 a month for US-based veterans and $375 a month for Philippine-based veterans with dependents, $300 for single veterans, and $200 for widows of veterans. The CBO believes this bill would amount to $365-M over 10 years.

Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) proposed a more modest bill that would also grant $900 a month to US-based veterans but only $100 a month to Philippine-based veterans. He withdrew this proposal on December 13, 2007 and currently backs the bill of Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) to totally eliminate benefits to Philippine-based veterans.

Divisions on this issue within the Filipino community discourage many of our supporters in the US Congress and provide a convenient cover to those unwilling to back the bill. (“If you guys can’t agree on what bill to support, why should we?”)

I strongly suggest that the Filipino community rally behind a veterans’ bill that can pass the US Congress. If even US Pres. George W. Bush has to regularly compromise with the US Congress now, why shouldn’t we?

The final paragraph of the 4-page letter to Sen. Craig written by the veterans advocate Gen. Delfin Lorenzana reads: “As we commemorate the Anniversary of the Rescission Act of 1946 on February 18, we pray that this 62-year old claim for recognition and benefits of these remaining gallant men and women who served America with utmost loyalty and devotion during WWII be finally granted.”

Prayers have been known to work wonders.

Please send comments to Rodel50@aol.com, log in to rodel50.blogspot.com or write to Law Offices of Rodel Rodis at 2429 Ocean Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94127, or call (415) 334-7800.