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Friday, January 23, 2004
Espinoza: Human costs of war
By Fred C. Espinoza
POLLS. While watching the live coverage of US President George W. Bush’s State of the Union address on Fox News television last Wednesday, the first question that came to my mind was what the response of the global economy would be to a Republican victory at the Nov. 2 presidential polls.
The GOP standard bearer has said the United States won’t seek permission for war, “that America is committed to keeping the world’s most dangerous weapons out of the hands of the world’s most dangerous regimes,” an AFP report said.
On the other side of the political spectrum, however, CNN provided the world with a glimpse of the sentiments from some political stalwarts at Capitol Hill, a few minutes after Mr. Bush’s speech.
I was impressed by the sober discussion of electoral issues. Democratic leader of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi cited the human and financial costs of last year’s invasion of Iraq.
But what especially touched me was Ms Pelosi’s strong appeal to the Bush administration not to leave war veterans behind in the legislative process of providing social benefits for the people. “We have to take good care of the war veterans if we are to establish a compassionate society,” she said.
Ms Pelosi’s observations may have brought to the surface once more the glaring example of a tragic flaw in the American laws that run counter to the very principles of a compassionate society.
The newly enacted law in the United States supposedly giving added benefits to Filipino World War II veterans would actually benefit only a minority of about 30,000 surviving veterans. The new laws do not give pensions but only medical benefits. And the benefits apply only to Fil-American veterans who are already citizens of or residing in the US, said Jesus Terry Adevoso, head of the Office of Veterans Affairs.
He said only about 8,000 Filipino veterans residing in the US are covered by the new laws, while most of the 22,000 still in the Philippines “get nothing at all.”
If I remember right, Filipino war veterans here came out with newspaper ads on the eve of Bush’s state visit here last Oct. 18, decrying the “discriminatory” laws, including the strategy reportedly used by US-based veterans groups to lobby for “piecemeal, step–by–step improved benefits.” But Adevoso said veterans who are now in their 80s cannot wait for “piecemeal benefits.”
At the same time, Adevoso cleared past presidents, including President Gloria Arroyo, of suspicion that they did not lift a finger to resolve the issue.
He said: “Our presidents have lobbied for full equity for Filipino war veterans. Ms Arroyo supports the bill (HR 677) filed last year by California Rep. Randy Cunningham (Republican) since this is closest to her idea of granting full equity.”
(January 23, 2004 issue)
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