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The passage of the Veterans Equity bill might face a
hurdle in the US Congress as American legislators will debate where
to get the funds for the legislation that is expected to benefit
surviving Filipino war veterans, Malacañang disclosed Wednesday.
“We are seeing a problem in
passing the Veterans Equity bill because under the present US law,
if there is a proposal in Congress, proponents must identify where
to get the fund,” Press Secretary Jesus Dureza said.
Dureza said the legislation will
need $300 million to give pension to Filipino World War II veterans
and members of the US Congress are still looking where to get the
money to support it.
Dureza also said that they are
getting some feedbacks about groups in the US lobbying against the
passage of the bill.
“It is not yet confirmed but we
heard that it’s the American legion of veterans,” he said.
The group fears that the US
government might slash the budget intended for them to accommodate
the budgetary requirements of the Veterans Equity bill.
“That’s why the President
went to the United States to strongly lobby for its passage. She
told American members of Congress that history is not yet complete
unless the veterans who fought alongside US forces get their due
reward,” Dureza said.
Rep. Bob Filner of California,
one of the founders of the bi-partisan Caucus, which supports
Philippine interests, said they will fix some loopholes to give
benefits to Filipino veterans.
Filner said fraudulent pension
claims are a real concern and the US Congress will fix it before
approving the bill. There are 218 members of the US House of
Representatives who have thrown support for the bill. However, a
two-thirds vote from the House or 290 votes is needed to get the
bill approved.
--Angelo S. Samonte
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