HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

97

TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2018

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

 

URGING THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO GRANT FULL VETERANS BENEFITS TO FILIPINO VETERANS WHO FOUGHT IN WORLD WAR II BUT WERE SUBSEQUENTLY DENIED THE BENEFITS TO WHICH THEY WERE ENTITLED.

 

 

 


     WHEREAS, prior to World War II, the Philippines was a United States commonwealth; and

 

     WHEREAS, Filipino soldiers earned full veterans benefits when they joined the Philippine Commonwealth Army to prepare against the potential threat of Japanese aggression; and

 

     WHEREAS, thousands of Filipino men and women risked their lives against the invading and occupying Japanese forces and assisted our nation in its efforts to liberate the Philippines; and

 

     WHEREAS, Filipino soldiers and guerrillas fought bravely beside American troops to restore liberty and democracy to their homeland; and

 

     WHEREAS, exhibiting great courage in the battles of Corregidor and Bataan, and in the eventual liberation of the Philippines, Filipino soldiers and guerrillas contributed to the Allied victory that ended Word War II; and

 

     WHEREAS, Filipinos who served in the Philippine Commonwealth Army were made eligible for full United States veterans benefits for their active duty service; and

 

     WHEREAS, in 1946, by congressional act and upon the granting of full independence to the Philippines, these same Filipino veterans were denied eligibility for United States veterans benefits, including health care, disability pensions, and burial expenses; and

 

     WHEREAS, over the years, Congress has considered legislation to restore the benefits denied to Filipino veterans; and

 

     WHEREAS, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 included a provision that called for the release of funding for a one-time, lump sum payment to eligible Filipino veterans in lieu of a pension; and

 

     WHEREAS, restoring benefits denied to Filipino veterans and fulfilling and expediting any pending claims would honor those Filipino veterans who served with our armed forces so courageously; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-ninth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2018, that the President of the United States and the United States Congress are urged to grant full veterans benefits to Filipino veterans who fought in World War II but were subsequently denied the benefits to which they were entitled; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this body requests that full veterans benefits apply to the veterans groups commonly referred to as the "Old" Philippine Scouts, the Philippine Commonwealth Army, the Recognized Guerrilla Forces, the "New" Philippine Scouts, and the United States Armed Forces in the Far East under General MacArthur (USAFFE); and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that spouses and children of these veterans would qualify for the same Dependency and Indemnity Compensation that spouses and children of United States veterans receive; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that providing these benefits would not correct the injustice and discrimination that occurred more than sixty years ago, but would represent a small step toward making reparations; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Hawaii's congressional delegation, the United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Director of the Hawaii Office of Veterans' Services, the President of the Republic of the Philippines, and the Philippine Consul General in Hawaii.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

World War II; Filipino Veterans; Full Veterans Benefits