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WASHINGTON, D.C.—The powerful RP-US Friendship Caucus has assured President Arroyo
that the Veterans Equity Bill would be passed by the
House of Representatives before the US presidential
elections in November this year.
A Palace
press statement said Rep. Bob Filner of California, a
founding pillar of the bipartisan caucus, told reporters
that he made the assurance to Mrs. Arroyo after she
addressed the group to appeal for the speedy passage of
the measure on Wednesday.
“We will
fix the loopholes. We will iron out the system and give
due benefits to the Filipino veterans,” Filner said in
an interview.
Filner
said funding for the $300 monthly pension of Filipino
veterans living in the Philippines would come from
‘”fixing of the loopholes.”
The
so-called loophole refers to the claims of many American
veterans that they are disabled in order to be qualified
to collect money claims when, in fact, they are not.
Filner
said the US House of Representatives has so far given
simple majority or 218 votes for the bill and for the
bill to pass, it has to get two-third votes of the
House, or 290 votes.
“We
could do that. We will pass the bill,” he assured.
In her
speech during her visit to the Veterans Committee
Hearing Room at the Cannon House Office Building of the
US Capitol Complex in Washington, D.C., Arroyo said, “It
is time we honor the past as we build our future. . . .
It is time to come here and tell you and press for the
passage, for your support.”
The
President noted that the US Senate overwhelmingly voted
for the passage of the bill and that she expected that
the House of Representatives would do the same.
Mrs.
Arroyo recalled that “when President Franklin Delano
Roosevelt called on the Filipinos to serve in the US
Armed Forces after Pearl Harbor, our fathers of the
greatest generation heeded the call.”
She said
it is not yet too late “to honor the service of all our
fathers—Americans and Filipinos. They fought for
America. They believed in the promise of America,” she
said.
“That’s
why during this trip, I’m personally working to promote
the interest of the Philippine veterans of World War II
with President Bush and your coalition,’” she said.
From
Washington, the President headed for New York City where
she will meet with US business leaders and investors.
She will
visit the New York City Stock Exchange, meet with
officers and staff members, including Filipino nurses,
of the Bellevue Hospital, and receive potential
investors and top US businessmen.
She will
also host a dinner reception at the United Nations
Headquarters for UN permanent representatives in line
with the bid of Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago for a seat
in the International Court of Justice, followed— by a
meeting with the Filipino community at the Hilton Hotel.
The
President will meet with business leaders as well as
investment groups, among them Libby Fruits, Rotec
officials, Target Sourcing, Apac officials and Citi
Group.
Her New
York visit will be capped by a keynote address at the
Seminar on Financing for Philippine Infrastructure and
Privatization Projects at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
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