Bob Filner: “what I want to do this afternoon is to bring to the attention of my colleagues and the American people a glaring…”

“what I want to do this afternoon is to bring to the attention of my colleagues and the American people a glaring injustice that has existed in this country for more than half a century, an injustice that was caused in 1946 and that we in this Congress in 1998 have a chance to remedy. Recently, this Congress passed a resolution of support and congratulations for the 100th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of the Philippines. We celebrated that anniversary as true partners in the world with the Philippine Republic. I said at that time a few weeks ago that a better way to give honor to our allies in the Pacific, a better way to celebrate this 100th anniversary of our close partner, would be to remedy an injustice that was perpetrated on the brave veterans of the Philippine armed forces who fought side by side with the American Army in the liberation of the Pacific in World War II. The Philippine soldiers were drafted into World War II by our President Franklin Roosevelt. They fought side by side and helped to win the battle of the Pacific; and yet, after the war, all the benefits of being a veteran were taken away by the Congress of 1946. There is legislation in this House that is cosponsored by almost 200 of us, legislation introduced by the distinguished Chairman of the House Committee on International Relations, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) and myself, H.R. 836, called the Philippines Veterans Equity Act.”