Neil's Notebook Abercrombie and Shinseki Search for Solutions to Help Filipino Vets
August 21, 2009
(HONOLULU) – U.S. Representative Neil Abercrombie conferred with Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki during a visit to the Spark Matsunaga VA Medical Center today about the plight of Filipino veterans who have not received promised compensation for their World War II military service. The Filipino Vets were members of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and Philippine Scouts called into service with U.S. armed forces at the outset of WWII and promised the same benefits as U.S. soldiers. Abercrombie worked with the Hawaii Delegation to provide a one time payment to Filipino Vets in the Economic Stimulus legislation passed by Congress in February. Filipino Vets who are U.S. Citizens get $15,000; Filipino Citizens get $9,000.
"Secretary Shinseki and I discussed way to speed up the process, including the hiring of additional claims processors and creation of separate procedures for Filipino Vets who are U.S. Citizens," said Abercrombie. "The VA has had only two people to process the more than 30-thousand claims submitted to date. And, all claims are processed in a VA office in Manila, whether the veteran is a Philippine or U.S. Citizen."
The VA estimates that there are only 18-thousand remaining Filipino veterans of the 250-thousand who served during WW II. About 500 of the estimated 1200 Filipino Vets living in Hawaii have filed claims; only eight have received their payments. Thirty Hawaii Filipino Vets have died since the legislation was approved without receiving their compensation.
Abercrombie said he will continue pushing for a faster, simpler process.
