PCGNY.net | News Release

Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney vows support for Fil-Am Veterans Bill; Joins RP-US Friendship Caucus

PHILIPPINE CONSULATE - NEWS RELEASE
17 April 2007

NEW YORK --- Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY, 14th District) has vowed to support the Fil-Am WWII veterans’ equity bill now pending before the U.S. Congress. The feisty congresswoman expressed her support during a meeting with Philippine Consul General to New York, Cecilia Rebong, who paid the former a courtesy call at her Congressional District Office in mid-town Manhattan last April 12.

If the bill is approved and passed into law, it will give full veterans benefits to many Filipinos who fought in the U.S. Army against the Japanese during World War II. These benefits include pensions for low-income veterans over 65 – almost $11,000 a year for single veterans – disability compensation, full health coverage and survivor’s compensation.

Consul General Rebong said, “Congresswoman Maloney’s support, along with those of other U.S. Representatives who have earlier signed up for the bill, gives surviving Filipino WWII veterans reason to hope that they will finally get what they have long been fighting for.”

During the meeting, Congresswoman Maloney also accepted the Consul General’s invitation for her to join the RP-US Friendship Caucus. The Caucus is a bi-partisan congressional member organization whose main objective is to increase the bonds of understanding and friendship between the American people and the people of the Philippines. Established in 2003, it currently has eighty-eight (88) members, up from the original 70, from the two major political parties. It is co-chaired by Congressmen Darrell Issa (R-California) and Bob Filner (D-California).

Consul General Rebong said that she and the other Heads of Posts continue to meet with U.S. Representatives from under their respective consular jurisdictions to invite the latter to join the R.P.-U.S. Friendship Caucus. Rebong earlier met with Congressman Vito Fossella (R-New York, 13th District), Congressman Mike Ferguson (R-New Jersey, 7th District), Congressman Bill Pascrell (D-NJ, 8th District), Congressman Joseph Crowley (D-NY, 7th District), Congressman Robert Andrews (D-NJ, 1st District), and Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY, 28th District). “They, too, have accepted our invitation to join the Caucus,” Rebong happily added.

Congresswoman Maloney’s support for the Filipino WWII veterans’ bill and the US-RP Friendship Caucus is actually only the latest in a long history of supporting causes that are important to the Philippines and/or the Filipino people. In 1995, she rallied U.S. congressional support for the release of Ms. Sarah Balabagan from a United Arab Emirates (UAE) jail. Ms. Balabagan was an OFW who was sentenced to death by a UAE Islamic court for allegedly killing her employer. In her defense, Ms. Balabagan testified that she was merely defending herself against her employer who tried to rape her. After a series of talks between the Philippine government and the UAE amidst an international outcry for justice for Ms. Balabagan, the latter’s sentence was reduced to a year's imprisonment and 100 strokes of the cane, along with payment of blood money, which was donated by a Philippine businessman. Earlier this year, Congresswoman Maloney joined other democratic representatives from New York in asking President Bush to continue and increase federal aid to 9/11 First Responders and their families as symbolized by Fil-American Cesar Borja who died due to 9/11-related lung illness. President Bush later met in New York with the son of the late Cesar Borja to receive the latter’s message for and in behalf of the other 9/11 First Responders and their families.

“During our meeting, Congresswoman Maloney only had kind and appreciative words for the Filipino community,” Consul General Rebong said. She specifically remembered the congresswoman saying, “Filipinos are a very productive and responsible members of American society. I particulalry remember meeting Lilia Clemente (of Clemente Capital) and that beautiful Filipino lady who would talk to me about Philippines politics whenever I visited my dentist in Manhattan. I marvelled at that lady’s extensive knowledge about Philippine and American politics. I later came to know that she was married to the owner of the largest Filipino newspaper in New York.” The “beautiful Filipino lady” was Mrs. Linda Pelayo, the charming wife of Filipino Reporter editor and publisher, Bert Pelayo.

The 14th Congressional District of New York covers the East Side of Manhattan, Astoria, and Queens, all of Roosevelt Island and much of Long Island City, Sunnyside and parts of Woodside.