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MANILA, Philippines -- Senator Richard Gordon, primary advocate of the Filipino World War II Veterans Pensions and Benefits Act of 2008, is elated by its swift passage into law after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed it this Wednesday.
This will ensure that Filipino war veterans, who are now in their old age, “will receive all the support from any and all nations which will want to reward them for their bravery and generosity. They are now assured that whatever benefits they are receiving now will not be revoked upon grant and receipt of benefits from other countries,” Gordon said.
The law amends Sections 10 and 11 of Republic Act 6948 by removing the prohibition against Filipino veterans receiving benefits from the United States government. Before the law was signed, the existing one provided that benefits received by Filipino veterans from the Philippine government would be revoked once these would be granted by the United States government.
Gordon’s advocacy and persistence took him in June 2007 to the United States, where he met California Congressmen Robert Filner and Dana Rohrabacher, Hawaii Senators Daniel Akaka and Daniel Inouye, and Senator Jim Webb of Virginia, known supporters of Filipino veterans.
The American legislators expressed their support for the passage of a measure granting pension benefits to Filipino World War II veterans and their surviving spouses now pending in the United States Congress.
They pointed out, however, that with the passage of this US bill, benefits currently granted to Filipino veterans would be revoked, as provided by Philippine laws.
Gordon thus immediately filed his bill revoking the said provisions.
Gordon also thanked Senator Rodolfo Biazon, chairman of the committee on national defense and security, and Congresswoman Carissa Coscolluela, who sponsored the measure in the House of Representatives, for the swift passage of the bill.
The measure became a law within a little more than nine months of its introduction as a bill.
“Such is the least that we could do to alleviate their quality of life, especially considering that our World War II veterans have not been able to fully enjoy the benefits due them until now, notwithstanding that they are now in their advanced age, weak, sickly, and some dying,” Gordon said.
