ILOILO CITY - They came walking slowly with canes. Others were brought in wheelchairs or held by their loves.

Despite their wrinkled faces and gray hairs, they proudly displayed their medals pinned to their blue uniform vests as they tried to stand firmly while saluting old friends and colleagues.

But 63 years after they helped liberate the islands of Panay, Guimaras and Romblon from Japanese occupation, veterans of the World War II are fighting a much longer and difficult battle for recognition and benefits.

“This is the longest war that we are still fighting. It is longer than the 30 Years' War in Europe,” said Rodolfo Lataquin, president of the 6th Military District WWII Veterans Association Inc., in a speech yesterday marking the 63rd anniversary of the liberation of the three islands from Japanese occupation.

The commemorative rites, held at the Balantang Memorial Cemetery and National Shrine in Barangay Quintin Salas in Jaro District here was attended by around 500 veterans and relatives.

Lataquin said it is “very ironical” that after fighting for many against Japanese forces, they are have to fight for recognition from the Philippines closest ally, the United States, and for adequate benefits from the Philippine government.

The veterans are fighting for the same benefits as their American counterparts. They are pushing for the passage of the Filipino Veterans Equity Act which will rescind the Rescission Act of 1946.

The Rescission Act said that the service of Filipinos “shall not be deemed to be or to have been service in the military or national forces of the United States or any component thereof or any law of the United States conferring rights, privileges or benefits.”

Lataquin said this law is the “greatest injustice done to us by America after we fought side by side with troops of Gen. (Douglas) McArthur.”

He said this deprived hundreds of thousands of Filipino WWII veterans of pensions, educational subsidies and other benefits.

The bill has repeatedly failed to pass in the US Congress despite being filed several times.

Jesus Terry Adevoso, Presidential Assistant for Veterans Affairs, said during the program that according to US legislators sponsoring the bill, they are working for the passage of the legislation by end of this month and April.

He said the passage of  the bill is being opposed by the Republican party of US President George W. Bush.

Adevoso, however, said that despite campaigns being waged by the Philippine government for the passage of the bill, it would still be up to US legislaors. “We can only hope and pray.”

But Lataquin said they are also fighting a similar battle in the home front.

“Our own government has neglected to fund (our) disability pension. We are still waiting for government to redeem their pledge to veterans,” he said.

The veterans receive a monthly “old-age pension” of P5,000 and an administrative disability pension of P1,500 for those with disability and all those 70 years old and above.

Modesto Biliran, 84, who fought with other guerrillas in Sara and other northern towns of Iloilo said the monthly pension “is very small for our needs.”

“They have been promising us a lot of things for a long time. But we have yet to receive these,” Biliran said in an interview.

Lataquin said the pension should be regularly adjusted to reflect current cost of living similar to the Government Service Insurance System and Social Security System. He said the government owed each veteran around P200,000 because of the non-payment or delay of pensions.

Defense Undersecretary Secretary Ernesto Carolina, officer in charge of the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office, said the government had a total arrears of P8 billion for old-page pension but around P3.7 billion has already been paid. He said the remaining amount is expected to be settled by the end of this year.

There are around 250,000 beneficiaries of pensions for veterans including for around 70,000 surviving veterans, said Carolina.

The government also has a backlog for payments for the administrative disability pension amounting to P23 billion from 1994 to 2007.

Carolina said they are targeting to initially pay P970 million as soon as Congress appropriates funds for the pension. He said government agencies are proposing to float bonds to pay for the balance in the disability pension.

To address the clamor of veterans for an increase in their monthly pension, Carolina said they are lobbying for the passage of a bill that will raise old-age pension from P5,000 to P6,000 and a P1,000 increase yearly for the next 5 years.*NPB    

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