Is HR 677 an issue in this election?

My instant reaction would be: Hell, yes!  But after really thinking about it, it is not an issue in this year's presidential election. It has never been an election issue since the Rescission Act of 1946. I know that this is probably the boldest and perhaps the craziest reaction of a Filipino-American vis-a-vis the Filipino Veterans Equity bill.

But what made me turn 180 degrees around -- yeah, I flip flopped -- was a "reality check."  Did any one of the presidential candidates make an issue out of HR 677? I can hear your answer: "Of course, Perry! What are you talking about?  John Kerry told us in a Fil-Am community meeting in Daly City and, again, in a private and exclusive meeting with him at the Democratic National Convention that he would support HR 677."  My question to you is: "Did John Kerry declare in front of the Democratic conventioneers and the 50 million  American TV viewers that he would fight for the passage of HR 677?" I can hear silence.  Silence…  I can hear you sigh. And I can hear some of you cursing.

Hold it.  Stop for a moment, folks. Stop and think. Think for just a minute…

Now, back to the issue -- to "our issue."  For the past 58 years, we've been trying to repeal the Rescission Act of 1946, or pass legislation that would restore all the benefits that were taken away.  Every presidential election year, we made it an issue. And every presidential candidate ignored "our issue."  No candidate addressed "our issue" with the American people. Why?  Because "our issue" is not an issue with the rest of the American people. "Our issue" is not an issue with the American veterans. "Our issue" is an issue only in our community and nobody else’s. That is the stark reality, folks.

And if we make "our issue" a presidential election issue, guess what? We will be disappointed, discouraged, furious, and angry!  Angry because they ignored "our issue" again. Don’t we ever get the message?  The message is: "Filipino Veterans Equity" is not an issue in a presidential election.  Never had been and never will be.

But before you really, really get mad and run amuck, let's look at what had been done in the past 58 years. Did Democratic Harry Truman's administration do something for the Filipino World War II veterans? The answer is "No."  Heck, he was the President when the Rescission Act of 1946 was railroaded in Congress. 

Did Republican Dwight Eisenhower do something? Democratic John Kennedy? Democratic Lyndon Johnson? Republican Richard Nixon? Republican Gerald Ford? Democratic Jimmy Carter? Republican Ronald Reagan? Republican George HW Bush? Yes, he did. It was during his administration that the Filipino World War II veterans were given American citizenship.  That’s a major accomplishment. However, American citizenship was not enough.  That legislation became the watershed for the fight for Filipino veterans equity and the multitude of Filipino veterans’ benefits that Congress subsequently  passed.  That started the ball rolling in the Filipino-American community to lobby for the Big Kahuna -- full equity for the Filipino veterans.

Did Democratic Bill Clinton do something? Did Republican George W Bush do something? Yes, indeed. Several legislations were passed that restored a lot of benefits to the Filipino veterans. The last was passed this year. It increased the medical health benefits of the Filipino veterans.  Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony Principi worked closely with representatives of the Filipino veterans in getting the bill passed.  President Bush gave the final nod and signed it into law.

What the Filipino veterans did was -- through their organization, American Coalition of Filipino Veterans --  lobby for smaller pieces of legislations. We call  this process, "Step by Step" -- one piece of benefit in each step. To my recollection, there were at least six or seven pieces of legislations passed during the administration of President George W. Bush and, maybe, Bill Clinton. The "Step by Step" process worked.

On the other hand, there were proponents of the "All or Nothing" strategy. HR 677 was the latest version of the "All or Nothing" strategy. It has been introduced in Congress several times before and each time it failed to muster enough sponsors. This year, there were 206 sponsors, three less than the number of sponsors in the previous Congress. However, the issue is not the lack of sponsors. It is a budget issue. The Appropriations Committee of both chambers of Congress could not find the money to appropriate for HR 677.  It is a question of priority. This year, the War in Iraq and the War on Terrorism take precedence over any veteran benefit appropriation bill. What is encouraging this year is that for the first time, the "Step by Step" advocates and the "All or Nothing" proponents unified into one group behind HR 677. The unified front included both Filipino-American Democratic and Republican leaders.  After all, the principal sponsors of HR 677 were  Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham and  Bob Filner of California, Republican and Democrat, respectively.

So, we lost the battle to pass HR 677 this year. But did we lose the war? Hell, no! Actually, we won the biggest battle that the Filipino-Americans fought: that is, the battle within its rank. We overcame the biggest obstacle and that was disunity.  We finally got our act together and realized that in unity there is strength.

What we should do now is to prepare for the next battle. We should put "our issue" back on the front burner next year and evaluate its chances of passing the next Congress.  That’s where "our issue" belongs -- in the US Congress.  Considering our setback in the current Congress, this year was not bad at all. It is a banner year and I hope that we would continue to work together each step of the way to final victory -- the passage of HR 677.

(PerryDiaz@...)

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A scenario that would scare the hell out of Kerry

"Neck and neck down the stretch," the Sacramento Bee headline says.  "Six new polls suggest Bush-Kerry race could go either way.  It is really down to the wire, folks.  Nobody is making any predictions because the presidential derby is at a statistical dead heat.  Whoever is going to win in tomorrow’s election will not win "by the nose."  He will win "by a whisker."

In 2000, President George W. Bush won the election after five weeks of impasse over the "chad" issue in Florida.  With roughly 500-vote difference between Bush and Gore, Bush captured 271 electoral votes, the minimum it would take to win the election.  The rest was history.

Is history going to repeat itself tomorrow?  By all indications, yes!  So, all roads would lead to Florida for a repeat of the historic gut-wrenching political drama that pitted not only the two presidential candidates -- George W. Bush and Albert Gore -- but batteries of lawyers, hordes of volunteers, and the full panel of the US Supreme Court.  

However, I believe it is not going to be Florida, again.  Why?  With tens of thousands of volunteers including thousands of lawyers from both sides, Florida would not be the mother of all battleground states.  There are several scenarios that I would consider "probable" in view of the anticipated close race tomorrow.

As of today, there are seven battleground states, one of which was not considered a battleground state until a few days ago.  That state -- Hawaii -- is seven time zones away from Florida and five from California.  By the time the polls close at 8:00 PM Central Time in Florida, it would only be 1:00 PM in Hawaii.  By the time the polls close at 8:00 PM Pacific Time in California, it would be 3:00 PM in Hawaii.  By 10:00 PM Pacific Time, California would have declared the winner of its 55 electoral votes.  So would Oregon with 7 electoral votes.  And so would Washington State with 11 electoral votes.

John Kerry, at that time waiting in his hotel room in Washington, DC, mentally counted the electoral votes he captured in all three Western Pacific states: 55 plus 7 plus 11... That’s a whopping 27% of what it takes to win.

At the same time, President Bush has 267, having captured four of the seven battleground states -- Colorado (9),  Florida (27),  New Mexico (5), and Virginia (13) for a total of 54 electoral votes.  A few hours earlier, Kerry captured two battleground states -- Ohio (20) and Pennsylvania (21) for a total of 41 electoral votes.

At 1:00 AM Eastern Time on November 3, John F. Kerry -- beaming with confidence -- walked up to the podium at his pre-designated victory party in a plush Washington, DC hotel and was about to declare victory when an aide whispered to him, "You have 267, it’s a tie at this point."  "But what happened to Hawaii, that little speck of rocks in the middle of nowhere has always been ours, do you hear, OURS!" The last word echoed in the room… OURS… OURS… ours… ours… ours…

The aide tried to explain it in a way so Kerry could make his own conclusion: "You see, Senator… It is only 5:00 PM in Hawaii and the people there are still voting.  You know how they are… They’re pretty laid back and they didn’t go to the polls until a couple of hours ago.  I never understood it myself, but people there say it has something to do with Filipino time."  Kerry, turned red, and shouted at his aide: "What has ‘Filipino time’ to do with my victory in Hawaii.  Hawaii is a Democratic bailiwick long before this ‘Filipino time’ came about.  Besides they’re all Democrats and they are loyal Democrats."  Crats… crats… crats… the acoustic in the hotel ballroom was terrible.  "But sir," the aide explained, "I beg to disagree.  The Filipinos are notorious for crossing party lines for a candidate they like.  They’re the key supporters of Governor Linda Lingle when she ran for Governor of Hawaii in 2002.  She‘s a Republican."  Kerry looked his aide in the eye and said, "You mean, these Filipino Democrats voted for a Republican candidate?"  Finally, the aide said, "Senator, they do it all the time if they don‘t like the Democratic candidate.  The exit polls in Hawaii right now are predicting that the Filipinos were voting overwhelmingly for Bush." 

With 267 to 267 tie in electoral votes, Hawaii’s four electoral votes would give the magic number of 271 electoral votes to the winner in Hawaii; thus, giving him the bare minimum to win the presidency.

Kerry left the podium and went back to his room to wait for the election results in Hawaii.  "Damn Filipinos, they screw things up all the time.  Damn Filipinos!"   Pinos… pinos… pinos…  The echo continued.   Kerry didn’t realize that he still had a little microphone pinned on his lapel.   

On January 20, 2005, President George W. Bush was sworn in as President of the United States.  On the front row of the gallery, several Filipino Democrats from Hawaii were seated.   When President Bush finished his oath of office, he looked at the Filipinos in the gallery and gave them the "shaka" sign.  The Filipinos responded with the same "shaka" sign and said, "Hang loose, bro."

NOTE:  This scenario is very possible.  With a 267-267 tie, Hawaii will determine the winner of tomorrow’s presidential election. 

(PerryDiaz@...)

# # #           

A Banner Year for T.O.F.A.

The Twelfth Annual Gala Banquet and Ball honoring the Twenty Outstanding Filipino-Americans (T.O.F.A.) in the United States and Canada was another banner year.  Held every year in Washington, DC, the prestigious event celebrated this year’s Circle of Leaders, a select group of 20 men and women nominated by various organizations including the 220 previous T.O.F.A. awardees.

T.O.F.A. was the brainchild of Mr. Nonoy Mendoza, the Publisher of FIL-AM IMAGE, the Filipino-American magazine based in Washington, DC.  Mr. Mendoza’s vision of honoring the high achievers has passed the test of time.  According to Mr. Mendoza, since its inception in 1990, "an impressive list of 240 Filipino-American centers-of-influence, high achievers and leaders representing the various consular jurisdictions of the Philippine diplomatic establishments in North America have been honored.  The awardees, known as members of the ’Circle of Leaders,’ come from several states including: Arizona, Alaska, Guam, California, New York, New Jersey, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Ohio, Michigan, Washington, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Delaware, Mississippi, Kentucky, Kansas, Georgia, Alabama, Illinois, Philadelphia, Minnesota, West Virginia,  as well as from Canada and the U.S. Virgin Islands."  Mr. Mendoza has remained focused in his search for qualified and deserving self-actuated leaders in the Filipino-American community.

Mr. Mendoza elaborated further, "The awardees are the role models of the Filipino-American communities.  They are inspirations and pride of Filipinos. They are the reservoir of varied Filipino-American talents and expertise.  They have participated and contributed immensely  in building and rebuilding the great United States and the vast  Canada."  

The 2004 Twenty Outstanding Filipino-Americans in the United States and Canada were honored at a gala banquet and ball at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Washington, DC last October 22, 2004.  The three-day celebration started with an evening reception hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Nonoy Mendoza at their hotel suite on October 20.  The following day, the honorees were treated to a brunch at the prestigious National Press Club. In the evening of October 21, the honorees were invited to a reception at the Philippine Embassy hosted by Deputy Ambassador Evan Garcia. 

In the morning of October 22, the honorees were accorded a chartered tour of the nation’s capital followed by a sumptuous lunch at a popular seafood buffet restaurant in Arlington, Virginia.


The gala banquet and ball was an elaborate ceremony.  Each of the 20 honorees were introduced and given an honorific medal and a plaque of recognition.  The following are the 2004 Twenty Outstanding Filipino-Americans of the US and Canada:

* Dr. Nerita R. Ulep, MD of Rockville, Maryland.

* Mr. Isagani C. Puertollano of Union, New Jersey.

* Ms. Editha B. Fedalizo of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

* Dr. Benito O. de Lumen, PhD of Berkeley, California.

* Dr. Yolanda Truckenbrodt, PhD of Dayton, Ohio.

* Ms. Emilie Gaborne Dearing of Fairfax, Virginia

* Dr. Baby Bleza-Guinto, MD of Valley Spring, New York.

* Ms. Carmencita Pintoy Kenney of Baltimore, Maryland

* Dr. Jose Bejar Cruz, PhD of Upper Arlington, Ohio.

* Ms. Tessie Calderon Alarcon of Leesburg, Virginia

* Mr. Perry Diaz of Elk Grove (Sacramento), California

* Ms. Venus Tomaneng of Virginia Beach, Virginia

* Mr. Antonio H. David of Washington, DC

* Dr. Vilma P. Helms, PhD of Dayton, Ohio

* Dr .Vicente O. Enciso, Jr., MD of Phoenix, Arizona

* Ms. Crispina Diaz-Unabia, RN of Downers Grove, Illinois

* Mr. Larry B. Hidalgo of San Jose ,California

* Dr. Vicenta P.G. Maquez, MD of Smyrna, Delaware

*  Dr. Joseph M. Arzadon of Falls Church

Congratulations to the 2004 awardees!  I hope that they would continue to serve as role models in our community and contribute to the well-being and development of the Filipino-American community.

(PerryDiaz@... )

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BALITANG  BETERANO

By Col (Ret) Frank B. Quesada  USA
   Former Senate Committee Secretary
   Veterans and Military Pension
     Associate,  PMA’44

    SETTING THE  RECORD STRAIGHT

There has been so much confusion over the provision of the infamous Rescission Act of 1946 otherwise known as First Supplemental Surplus Appropiation Rescission Act of 1946.
It is also known as Public Law 301-79th Congress, chapter 20-2D Session.
The confusion lies on the many bum interpretations and conjectures on the part of several government hired hacks and  researchers who misrepresent the facts to show that the government had paid the Filipino World War II veterans through the Philippine Government the sum of $200-Million in exchange for  a quit claim of  all other compensation and benefits of Filipino World War II U.S veterans.
Well, there was NO quit claim at all on the part of the Philippine government I behalf of Filipino-American World War Ii veterans.
` I have hard evidence that such yarn is not only untrue, but a barefaced lie. Such inaccuracies had been bandied around for a number of years, until the truth was discovered.
Such bogus statement from government hired hacks was culled from proposed bill containing  proposed transfer of appropriations, the was not yet approved into  law.
I am quoting herewith  pertinent provisions proposed under the First Supplemental Surplus Appropiation Rescission Act of 1946 which belie such bogus claim. Hereunder, in that controversial claim by the US government, and I quote:
` 1.“.An Act Reducing Certain Appropiation and Contract Authorizing Available  for the Fiscal Year 1946 and for Other Purposes.
“Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the U.S.A. in Congress assembled: That the appropriations and contractual  authorizations of departments and agencies available in this Fiscal Year  1946, and the prior year un-reverted appropriations, are hereby reduced in the sums hereinafter set forth, such sums to be carried to the surplus fund and covered into the  Treasury immediately upon the approval of this  Act.
   2.” Transfer of Appropiations
“In addition  to the transfer, authorized by Section 3 of the Military appropriation Act, 1946, transfer of not to exceed the amounts hereinafter set forth may be made, with the approval of the Bureau of Budget, for the appropriation “Ordinance Service, Army” to the following appropiation:
        x  x  x  x  x  x.
Army of the Philippines, $200,000,000.00’ Provided. That service in the organized military forces of the Government of the Commonwealth of the  Philippines. While such forces were in the service of the armed forces of the U..S. pursuant to the Military Order of the President of the U.S. dated July 26, 1941, SHALL NOT be deemed to be or to have been service in the military or naval forces of the U.S, or any components thereof for the purposes of any law of the U.S. conferring  rights, privileges, or benefits  upon any person by reason of the service of such person or the service of any other person in the military or naval forces of the U.S. or any component thereof, except  benefits  under
- 1) the National Service  Life Insurance Act of 1940; and amendment , under contracts theretofore entered into    2) laws administered by the Veterans Administration providing for  the payment of pensions or account of service-connected disability or death; Provided, further, That such pensions shall be paid at the rate of one Philippine peso for each dollar authorized to be  paid under laws providing for such pensions; Provided, further, that any payments  heretofore  made under  any such law or with respect to any number the military forces of the Government of  the Commonwealth  of the Philippines  who served in the service of the armed forces of the U.S shall not be deemed to be invalid by reason of the circumstances that his service was not service I the military or naval forces of the U.S. or any component thereof within them meaning of such law.
SECTION 301. This Act may be cited as the First Supplemental Appropiation Rescission Act. 1946”
        Approved,  February 18, 1946..
                           # # #
        Reproduction  of the Rejection by the Philippine Government of the above offered legislation, in a speech  in the U.S. House of  Representatives in May 22, 1946, by the  Resident High  Commissioner  of the Philippines in the United States, Brig. (Ret.) General Carlos P. Romulo.
I am a quoting hereunder the speech if Brig. General Carlos P. Romulo, as the resident High Commissioner of the Philippines the U.S. rejecting acceptance of the First Supplemental Appropiation, Rescission Act, 1946, to wit:
“Mr. Speaker, there was introduced on the floor of this House yesterday a bill,  want to thank you, Rep. Rankin, for sponsoring HR-6508, to restore to veterans of the Armed Forces of the Philippines certain benefits of veteran’s  legislation  previously passed by Congress in favor of the Armed Forces of the U.S.
I should like to express once more to the President of the  U.S the appreciation of the Government of the Philippines for his directive of February 20, 1946 which is basis for the proposed legislation . This is the message of that date, delivered in conjunction with the signing of the First Supplementary Surplus Appropiation  Rescission Act of 1946.
“ He directed the Secretary of War, the  Administrator of  Veterans  Affair, and the U.S. High Commissioner to the Philippines to prepare a plan which would overcome the injustice to
Filipino veterans which resulted from th passage of that Act.
In his message, the President said: “The passage and approval of this legislation do not  release the U.S. from the moral obligation to provide for the heroic Philippine veterans wh sacrificed so much for the common cause during the war.”
“In the name of justice to Filipino veterans, I wish to call your attention to certain features of the Rankin bill introduced yesterday which, although most laudable  in its objectives, in its present form, however,  fails regrettably short of the goal set by the President.
“The First Supplemental Surplus Appropiation Rescission Act of 1946, at one stroke of a pen  stripped the veterans of the Army of the Philippines of almost all rights in which they have been entitled under the veterans legislation of the U.S.. all but two of the benefits o which Filipino veterans had theretofore been  entitled were summarily taken away by that Act.
“Two remaining were:
“First, the National Service Life Insurance under the Act of 1940; and
“Second, pensions for service connected disability and death, which are to be paid, however, on the basis of pesos instead of dollars, thus cutting in half the benefits to which they were otherwise entitled.
“This Rescission Act deprives Filipino veterans if veterans benefits with a proviso that $200,000,000 be appropriated to the Army of the Philippines
“These $200,000,000  which were purportedly in lien of benefits of which Filipino veterans were thus deprived, are actually, not sufficient to cover the back-pay entitled by  these veterans.
“The Philippine government has chosen NOT to accept the appropriation!    ( emphasss supplied )
“ So patent was the  injustice and discrimination against Filipino veterans in the Rescission Act that the President of the U.S. registered  a protest.
He called upon the Secretary of War, the Administrator of Veterans Affairs, and the US High Commissioner to the Philippines  to prepare a program which would rectify the injustice done sand confirm more closely with the spirit of  brotherhood and equality in which American and Filipino soldiers fought and died together in the war against Japan.
“ The bill which was introduced yesterday proposes to restore certain of the benefits of which Filipino veterans were deprived by the passage of the Rescission Act.
“First, hospitalization and medical  care for service connected disability;
“Second. and funeral  allowances
“Third, pensions for service connected disability  and death .which are still to be paid, however, on the basis of pesos instead of dollars.
“The members you will note, Mr. Speaker, that the third benefit provided by the proposed bill, namely, pensions for service-connected  disability and death is identical with the provision of the First Supplementary Appropiation Act of 1946, and thus – is not new.
“Filipino veterans, Mr. Speaker, when they took back upon their experiences as members of the U.S Armed Forces, although the hardship and misery of war, find it hard indeed to understand the proposal to congress to deprive them of these very benefits which was conferred upon them by congress and which  are still enjoyed by American comrades-in-arms at whose side they fought,
“Let me make it very clear that the Filipino veteran  has never requested, and does not request any special benefit or, (just what the US exactly  owed the veterans no more, no less) Filipino soldiers flocked to the colors by the thousands, in answer to the proclamation of the President of the U.S. long before veterans  legislation had be proposed on the floor of the House.
“They did not go to war for the sake of advantage they might enjoy as veterans, however, were profoundly disappointed at the suggestion that they should be cut off at this late date from benefits  which /congress granted them during the war.
“This is injustice ! This is discrimination.  It  is anti-American !( emphasis supplied )
“The Filipino veterans, their families, and their government cannot believe that this is the treatment which the people of the U.S. will accord to the Filipino veterans who so valiantly withstood the brutal onslaught by the Japanese.
“They know America too well to think that this is the American attitude Filipino soldiers in the Armed Forces of the Philippines served in the Armed Forces of the U.S. As such, they were entitled to the benefits conferred by legislation upon veterans of the armed forces of this country. 
“I need to remind you, I know that under the Independence Act of 1934, the U.S. government specially reserved the right to call into the service of the Armed Forces of the U.S.  recognized by Philippine Government until the Philippines should finally become independent.
“Pursuant to that provision the President can call into  the forces of the U.S. for the period of the existing emergency, all organized military and naval forces of the Government of the Commonwealth of the U.S., on July 26, 1941 issued am military order in which he called and ordered into the service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines which were laced under the command of the appropiate Army and Navy theatre commanders.
“ From that day forward, he Army of the Philippines  was an integral part of the /armed Forces of the U.S.  Veterans who served in that Army were forthwith included within the term s of legislation passed by congress providing benefits for nay person who served in the active military or naval service of the U.S.
` “ Filipino veterans, therefore, were included within the benefits provided for veterans by numerous acts of Congress. Under the Service Re-Adjustment Act of 1944, the GI Bill of  Rights, they were entitled to vocational rehabilitation, to  education and training, to loans for the purchase for reconstruction of  houses, and for other purposes, and to employment, readjustment allowances.
“Under Mustering Act of 1944, they were entitled to receive mustering out pay under conditions specified in that Act.
“Under the National Service Life Insurance Act (NSLI) of 1940, they were entitled to hospital an domiciliary care, artificial limbs and appliance, and other medical attention. Other benefits were provided by various other laws. but those cited above will suffice as examples.
“The legislation proposed to Congress exclude Filipino veterans would exclude Filipino veterans from health benefits under above legislation in all but four cases. It would exclude them from all benefits of the BI Bill of Rights, which in the Philippines, as in the US...  convinced the veterans that his sacrifices was  recognized and that civilian life would really hold out something for him upon return from military service. It would exclude him from benefits  of the Mustering Out Payment Act of 1944.
“ Those are benefits to which the Filipino veterans are entitled while he was fighting a common cause.  Is he to be told now  that he is no longer entitled to them. although the status of his comrades  from the American mainland has undergone no change?
“  The wounded Filipino veteran, Mr. Speaker, is as concerned  about how he will earn his livelihood for his family as is wounded veteran in this country. He is just as much in need of vocational rehabilitation which modern science is now in a position to give him, as his former comrades who is now recuperating in the continental U.S.
“ The physically able veteran in the Philippines is as eager to continue his un-interrupted education as his American comrade-in-arms. He has no less willing to interrupt his studies  to fight the common enemy. The prejudice which he suffered is  no less severe.
: The problem of adjustment from military to civilian life in the Philippines  present problems no less troublesome  to the Filipino veteran than the veteran in then U.S. mainland. Perhaps it presents even more since it many Filipino veterans returned to find their fields, or former places of employment were in  shambles in the wake of war.
“ “I have said here on this floor when I spoke for the Filipino veteran on February 28 last, and need not again set out at length , the story and heroism which the Filipino and American soldiers shared in the Pacific, to the credit  of both. The bullets they faced, and the shells and bombs, made n distinction between them.
“The misery of the prison camp felt the same in the Filipino heart as it, did in the American heart. The terror, the determination, the courage of battle drew no time of determination between Filipino and American.
“The bill proposed  yesterday HR-6508 goes a small way  toward correcting  the great injustice to Filipino veterans which was  done in the /first Supplemental Surplus Appropiation Act of 1946. It nevertheless discriminates against Filipino veterans  because it prevents the from enjoying the benefits which have previously been accorded to every veteran who fought under the flag of the U.S..
“ “President H. Truman recognized that the earlier injustice  has not yet been cured when he said I his letter of  may 18 to the House that enactment of the present bill will nor cure  en toto the present discrimination against Filipino veterans.
The president further states that he has directed  the Veterans  Administration, the War Department, and the High Commissioner to the Philippines, to give consideration to a practicable method of providing  educational opportunities for the Filipino veteran, and to assure so far as possible employment for him.
“ We are told, Mr, Speaker, that to provide  to Filipino veterans certain of the benefits established  by Congress  will entail practical difficulties. I feel certain Filipino veterans will not insist that they should be entitled to benefits which are impossible of practical administration..
“ At no time, however, have we been told what difficulties , if any, exists. We know, from  working with the past with agencies of the government of the U.S. that there are very few problems which can not be solved in a spirit of harmony and cooperation,
“ We know that the present bill and the legislation which preceded it would withdraw from Filipino veterans the  benefits which had previously been vouchsafed  to them under veterans legislations passed by congress.
“ We know that such action is discriminatory against Filipino veterans. We believe it is unjust . We can not understand and accept the actuation of the members of congress or of the people of the U.S. in their treatment of the Filipino veterans who fought  so valiantly side by side with their own sons.
“ I urge you on behalf of the Filipino people and of the government to correct these inequalities now. I urge you to enlist a legislation which will restore  to Filipino veterans the recognition and which have previously been accorded them by the solemn acts of Congress.

                  ( end of speech )

Note: This should end all untruths and falsehoods perpetuated by certain  hired hacks attempting to mislead the public. The truth always prevail! A debt owed is  debt that must be paid! # # #

      frankquesada_1@...

Red and Blue America

   
I received an email a few days after the presidential election with a picture of the map of the United States in red and blue colors.  ‘The Map’ as it was called shows the counties in red where President Bush won and the counties in blue where Senator Kerry won.  What a beautiful tapestry America is in red and blue.

At a glance you see a trend in America, it’s red in the middle and as you move outward, it’s turning blue.  The West Coast is mostly blue and the East Coast is split between red and blue with the northeast and southeast predominantly blue.

What does this mean to Americans?  And to Filipino-Americans?  The victory of President Bush is the watershed of the conservative revival of America.  America is going back to its roots as a conservative nation.  The liberal agenda of the Democratic Party is losing support from its traditional allies, in particular -- the minorities.  Exit polls showed that President Bush’s support among the African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and Asian-Americans -- and Filipino-Americans -- has improved dramatically.

Why?  I believe that moral issues transcend the racial divide.  In general, voters are more concerned about their children’s moral upbringing and education.  Parents -- black or white, poor or rich, immigrant or natural-born American -- care about the future of their children more than anything else.  The "Leave no Child Behind" program that President Bush promised in 2000 and approved by the US Congress still resonated with voters in the 2004 election.  Yes, the election in 2004 is all about the future of the next generations of Americans.   

Prior to the presidential election, I wrote an article titled "The core of our values."  I stated that "our religious upbringing, our strong family ties, our deep-rooted tradition of self-reliance, and our time-honored spirit of bayanihan have ingrained in us a core of values that directs how our brains think and how our hearts beat."  I believe that a majority of Filipino-Americans have these conservative core values.  I believe that a majority of Filipino-Americans voted for President Bush because of their affinity to the President’s conservative beliefs and moral agenda.

The Philippines is probably one of the most conservative societies on earth.  The population is about 90% Roman Catholic and the people adhere to the strict practices of the church, which include the following:  divorce is not recognized, family planning and birth control must only use natural methods of contraception, and abortion is not permitted.  Philippine law punishes rapists with life in prison or the death penalty and metes out stiff sentences to drug dealers.         

I posted "the core of our values" several list-serves in the Internet and I received mostly favorable comments.  However, a few Filipino-Americans questioned my article and one of them Emily (not her real name), an educated Filipina with an MD and a PhD degrees, emailed me and said the she disagreed with my article.  She said that my article did not represent her beliefs.  She said that she is "an agnostic, pro-choice, an anti-war."  True, my article did not represent her beliefs.  I replied to her email and told her, "Based on how you described yourself, you’re profile is that of a liberal and you’re most probably a registered Democrat." 

Filipino-Americans in California, Illinois, New York and New Jersey are mostly registered Democrat. However, they vote according to their conscience and they cross party lines for the candidates of their choice.  In 2004, their candidate of choice was George W. Bush.  This is a phenomenon that has left a lot of Filipino-American political leaders wondering.  For example, in California, in the past 25 years, Filipino-Californians have crossed party lines to vote for a Republican president and governor.  In 1980 and 1984, Filipinos in California voted for President Ronald Reagan.  In 1982 and 1986, they voted for Governor Deukmejian.  In 1988, they voted for President George HW Bush.  In 1990, they voted for Governor Pete Wilson.  In 1992, their support started to shift to  Democratic presidential and gubernatorial candidates.  After 10 years, in 2002, the support of Filipinos in California began to shift back to the Republican Party.  In 2003, the Filipinos overwhelmingly supported Arnold Schwarzenegger when Democratic Governor Gray Davis was recalled.  In 2004, notwithstanding the Democratic victory in California,  I believe that a majority of Filipinos in California voted for President Bush. 

With President Bush’s reelection, the question of the day is:  Will the Filipino-Americans in California abandon the Democratic Party in the 2006 gubernatorial election? My guess is "Yes, they will abandon the Democratic Party to reelect Arnold Schwarzenegger." 

The rightward swing of the Filipino-American vote will play a crucial role in future elections.  If the momentum continues, the Filipino-American vote will become a key factor in California and in the United States beginning in 2010 when the Filipino-American population would increase, as projected, to more than 5 million. 

With that large a number, Filipino-Americans will become a swing vote.  But the question is: Will Filipino-Americans get elected to the United Congress?  However, before we can even talk of electing Filipino-Americans to the US Congress, how about electing them to city councils, county boards of supervisors, school boards, and the multitude of local offices?  The time has come.  All we need now are Filipino-Americans to step up to the plate. 

(PerryDiaz@...)

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*** PRESS RELEASE ***

Contact: Perry Diaz
(800) 905-0240

NFFAR Forms Equity Bill Committee

������ The Executive Council of the National Federation of Filipino-American Republicans (NFFAR) met in a teleconference last November 14, 2004, and discussed the debacle of HR 677, the Filipino World War II Veterans Equity Bill.

������� Having failed to muster passage in the 108th Congress and several times in previous sessions, the Executive Council decided to form an ad hoc committee to look into the reasons why HR 677 failed to pass.� The committee is to be chaired by NFFAR Chairman, Perry Diaz, and the committee members are the chairmen of the Fil-Am Republican State organizations affiliated with NFFAR.� The primary objective of the committee is to develop a plan to put together another equity bill for introduction to the incoming 109th Congress.

�������� Preliminary work of the Filipino Veterans Equity Bill Committee would include the following:� review the HR 677 and determine what caused it to fail;� prepare and educational package on the history of the Filipino veterans' struggle for equity for distribution to the members of the 109th Congress and other interested parties; take the lead in forming a community-wide coalition in support of the new equity bill; form a task force of community leaders representing the major Filipino-American organizations; establish contact and working relationships with Congressional leaders and the White House; and look for primary sponsors for the bill.

�������� A teleconference will be held in the near future.� Any interested organization may participate.� For further information or detail, please contact Perry Diaz at (916) 691-6642.� His email address is PerryDiaz@....

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Abercrombie settles race case for $40 million

Tuesday, November 16, 2004 Posted: 6:37 PM EST (2337 GMT)


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LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Abercrombie & Fitch Co. has agreed to pay $40 million to black, Hispanic and Asian employees and job applicants to settle a class-action federal discrimination lawsuit that accused the clothing retailer of promoting whites at the expense of minorities, lawyers said Tuesday.

The settlement, approved Tuesday morning by U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston, requires the company to adhere to a consent decree that calls for implementing new policies and programs to promote diversity and prevent discrimination in its workforce. It also must pay about $10 million to monitor compliance and cover attorneys' fees.

"We have, and always have had, no tolerance for discrimination," said Mike Jeffries, chairman and chief executive of New Albany, Ohio-based Abercrombie & Fitch Co. The company settled to avoid "long, drawn out" litigation, he said in a release.

The lawsuit was filed last June in San Francisco by Hispanic and Asian groups charging that Abercrombie & Fitch, known for its "classic casual American" clothing styles, hires a disproportionately white sales force, puts minorities in less-visible jobs and cultivates a virtually all-white image in its catalogues and elsewhere. A second, similar lawsuit was filed against the company last November in New Jersey.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission joined the private plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which alleged that Abercrombie & Fitch violated portions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The lawsuit specifically accused the company of engaging in recruiting and hiring practices that exclude minorities and adopting a virtually all-white marketing campaign.

"The retail industry and other industries need to know that businesses cannot discriminate against individuals under the auspice of a marketing strategy or a particular 'look.' Race and sex discrimination in employment are unlawful, and the EEOC will continue to aggressively pursue employers who choose to engage in such practices," said Eric Dreiband, the EEOC's general counsel.

The EEOC estimated the settlement would affect more than 10,000 Hispanic, Asian or black men and women.

Abercrombie & Fitch said it hired Todd Corley, a diversity consultant, as its newly created vice president of diversity under the consent decree, which also calls for hiring up to 25 diversity recruiters. The company also promised that its marketing materials would reflect diversity.

The original lawsuit was brought on behalf of nine young minorities, including students and graduates of Stanford University and the University of California, who were denied jobs or fired based on their race.

"This agreement promises to transform this company, whose distinctiveness will no longer stem from an all-white image and workforce," said Thomas A. Saenz, vice president of litigation at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.



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Filipino Veterans Equity Bill Task Force Formed

������ Through the initiative of the National Federation of Filipino-American Republicans (NFFAR), the Filipino Veterans Equity Bill Task Force was formed as a nonpartisan, community-wide coalition to put together a plan for the drafting and introduction of a new equity bill in the 109th Congress.

����������� Preliminary work of the FVEB Task Force would include the following: review of HR 677 and determine what caused it to fail; prepare an educational package on the history of the Filipino veterans' struggle for equity to be distributed to the members of Congress and other interested parties; establish contact and working relationships with Congressional leaders and the White House; look for primary sponsors of the bill; and other related activities.

����������� To date, the following are the members of the FVEB Task Force:

������������ Perry Diaz, Chairman (CA)
����������������� Ning Aguila (FL)
����������������� Wally Arias (TX)
����������������� Luz Bates, Esq. (TX)
����������������� Elena Brady (NV)
����������������� Celly Carbonell (CA)
����������������� Marie Cunning (AZ)
����������������� Mayor Owen Diaz (MI)
����������������� Nathaniel Duenas (CA)
����������������� Dr. Maria Escobar (VA)
����������������� Thelma Estrella (MD)
����������������� Representative Lynn Finnegan (HI)
����������������� Ernie Gange (PA)
����������������� Armando "Doy" Heredia (RI)
����������������� Divine Herrera (FL)
����������������� Dr. Myrna Littlewort (NY)
����������������� Dr. Arsenio Martin (TX)
����������������� Ed Navarra (MI)
������������������ Maurese Owens (VA)
����������������� Myriam Silverio (VA)
����������������� Dr. Rawlein Soberano (MD)
����������������� Gil Zulueta (VA)

������������ We will continue to reach out to organizations, particularly the veterans organizations, to become part of the task force.� The failure to pass HR 677 has created an opportunity for all Filipino-Americans to work together for the enactment of an equity bill that will provide the benefits that were taken away from the Filipino World War II veterans as a result of the discriminatory Rescission Act of 1946.� The FVEB Task Force will delve into the reasons why previous attempts to pass an equity bill failed and determine what is doable in the 109th Congress.

����������� I urge community leaders to join the task force and become the centers of power in their communities and work to get the support of their congressmen.� If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at (800)905-0240 or email me at PerryDiaz@....

With all the best,
Perry Diaz
Chairman
FVEB Task Force

###

In 1960, Senator John F. Kennedy of Boston, Massachusetts was the Democratic presidential candidate against the Republican candidate, former Vice President Richard Nixon.  It was a very close contest.  But what made this particular political duel unique was that Kennedy  -- or JFK as he was popularly called -- was the first Roman Catholic who ran for President of the United States at a time when the White Anglo Saxon Protestants (WASPs) were the absolute political lords in America.  Nixon, a WASP, was considered the establishment candidate.  After all, he was the incumbent Vice President.

Kennedy, being a Roman Catholic, was mistrusted by the Protestant leaders.  One of the rumors that floated around insinuated that Kennedy, if elected, would become a puppet of the Pope.  The celebrated debate between Kennedy and Nixon turned the public sentiment around and Kennedy won the presidency by 118,574 votes and captured 309 electoral votes to Nixon’s 219 electoral votes.  He became the first Roman Catholic president of the United States.

Forty four years later, 2004, a similar scenario occurred in the recently concluded presidential election.  Senator John F. Kerry of Boston, Massachusetts was the Democratic presidential candidate against the Republican candidate, incumbent President George W. Bush.  It was a very close contest.  But what made this particular political duel interesting was that Kerry -- or JFK as he was oftentimes referred to during the campaign --  is a Roman Catholic.  President Bush is a WASP.  Déjà vu.  Was history set to repeat itself?  Almost.  President Bush won by 3.5 million votes and captured 286 electoral votes to Kerry’s 252 electoral votes. 

What was intriguing in this year’s election was how the Roman Catholics voted.  Since Kerry is a Catholic, is it fair to presume that the Catholics supported Kerry?  Yes, it would be fair to presume that Catholics voted for Kerry.  However, the CNN exit polls conducted in Maryland showed that Bush got 57% of the Catholic vote to Kerry’s 41%.  On the other hand, Kerry got 53% of the Protestant vote to Bush’s 46%.  Clearly, the Maryland exit polls have defied conventional wisdom. 

Kerry took the Catholic vote for granted.  He was confident that the Catholics would not abandon one of its faithful sons.  That would have been true had Kerry demonstrated that he was true to his Catholic faith. But he didn’t.  Instead, he placed himself on a teetering position favoring abortion, stem cell research and gay marriage -- three issues opposed by most Catholics. On the other hand, President Bush’s pronounced stand against abortion, stem cell research and gay marriage, has created a strong bond with Catholics. 

The Filipino-Americans, one of the most socially conservative ethnic groups in the United States, have very strong feelings on these issues.  The Catholic Church leadership in the Philippines is more conservative than the Catholic Church leadership in the United States. With a high percentage of immigrants, the Filipino-Americans are highly influenced by Philippine social standards. 

With the emerging Catholic vote, the political shift in the Filipino-American community is beginning to change the voting preferences of Filipino-Americans.  Political bond between the Filipino-Americans and the Hispanic-Americans is beginning to gel and would soon solidify into a strong political alliance.  It is not a coincidence that the Hispanic and Filipino shifts to the Republican Party are happening at the same time.  It is because the conservative social issues are beginning to resonate in both communities.  Why not?  The cultural similarities of the Hispanics -- particularly the Mexicans -- and the Filipinos are very strong.

Mexico and the Philippines have maintained close cultural ties for more than 250 years during the Spanish era in the Philippines.  They were, for lack of a better word, "colonial" cousins.  In the United States, Hispanic-Americans and Spanish-surnamed Filipino-Americans are oftentimes lumped together: thus, creating a larger number for Hispanic-Americans .  I would not be surprised if the Census had classified a large portion of Filipino-Americans as Hispanic and not Asian.  Certainly, this would increase the political value of Hispanic-Americans.  If this trend continues, the Filipino-American political community should start capitalizing on its affinity with the Hispanic community.  It should work both ways, benefiting both communities.  Better still, a political alliance between Hispanic-Americans and Filipino-Americans based on their conservative values would certainly become a powerful political bloc. 

How would it affect the "API" coalition that mainstream political power brokers have tried so hard to keep together as a political bloc?  "API" as the Asians and Pacific Islanders are called. is an attempt to simplify access of politicians to the "API" community and vice versa.  By lumping all the communities together, the politicians would only need to talk to the "API" leader.  The "API" leader -- most likely a Chinese-American --  would  be the only person that has access to the politicians; thus, giving that leader near-absolute control over the "API" coalition.  This advantage is translated into benefits such as political appointments.  In most cases, the Chinese-Americans have virtual lock on appointments.  During the first term of President Bush, more than 200 "APIs" were appointed by the Bush administration.  However, due to the exclusive access of the "API" leader-godfather, who was Chinese-American, 90% of the appointments were given to Chinese-Americans. Other ethic groups within the "API" coalition, such as Filipinos, Indians, Pakistanis and others, have to settle for "crumbs."  Through this "API" leader-godfather, only one Filipino-American was appointed.  The other Filipino-American appointees in the Bush administration got their appointments by working with mainstream leaders and not with the "API" coalition. 

In order for the Filipino-Americans to gain political clout, we must have our own political organizations and work independently of the "API" coalition.  However, we should not be precluded from partnering with other ethnic groups to achieve common goals.  Filipino-Americans should also start running for offices.  In San Francisco, California, with one of the largest concentrations of Filipino-Americans, a Filipino-American candidate who ran for the Board of Supervisors lost.  She placed second.  However, the irony of it is that the Filipino-American Democratic leaders endorsed and supported her opponent.  In my opinion, the Filipino-American candidate could have won if the Filipino-American leaders supported her.  So we’re back to square one.   Too bad, we’re still dancing the crab dance -- one step forward, one step backward.               

(PerryDiaz@...)

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