Sen. Ted Cruz Apology to US Filipino Vets 9/30/13
Channel: usfilipinosdc
Date: 2013-10-01

US Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), of the Senate Armed Services Committee, apologized to US Filipino WWII veterans and their supporters for his "offensive"" comment comparing his 21-hour filibuster to the "Bataan Death March." Mr. Celestino Almeda, 96, spokesman, and Maj. Jesse Baltazar, 93, a Bataan defender & POW,  presented their written demand of the American Coalition for Filipino Veterans for his public apology and to support their bills in the Senate.  Retired military chaplain Georgette Beltran, Angelyn Tugado-Marzan, daughter of a vet, and Eric Lachica, coalition executive director, assisted at their meeting in the senator's Washington DC office, Sept. 30, 2013. CONTACT: usfilipinoveterans@gmail.com  

TEXT OF LETTER: On behalf of our elderly Filipino American World War II veterans and members of our national advocacy organization, we demand your prompt apology and actions to remedy your ill-advised, and insulting televised statement last Wednesday. You compared yourself, senate colleagues and staff as "Bataan Death March" survivors for having endured your 21-hour talk-athon on the floor of the Senate.

We attached your verbatim quotes from the CNN website:
--------------------CNN Sept. 25---------
11:30 a.m. ET - In his closing remarks, Cruz thanks those "who have endured this Bataan death march."

"I don't want to miss the opportunity, within the limited time, to do something that is imperative that I do which is to thank the men and women who have endured this Bataan death march," he says.

"I want to make a point particularly to the floor staff and to everyone -- you all didn't choose this."
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FACTS:

1)   during the 1942 Bataan Death March in WWII in the Philippines, a U.S. territory then, the Japanese invaders killed more than 10,000 brave American and Filipino soldiers during their five-day forced 65-mile march to prison camp by Japanese imperial soldiers.

2)   60,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war who surrendered and survived the death march were imprisoned in POW camps where an average of 400 prisoners died per day due to hunger, diseases, lack of sanitation and physical abuse by their Japanese guards.

3)   there is no logical reason to compare the brutal imprisonment, suffering , tortures and executions faced by the heroic Fil-Am POWs/Death March WWII survivors with the victims of your grandstanding.

We agree with the National Federation of Filipino American Association's call:
 "The Senator's remarks are revolting and they dishonor the memory of our nation's veterans who fought bravely for this country so that Americans, like Sen. Ted Cruz, can enjoy the blessings of freedom and democracy.
"He owes the Filipino World War II veterans an apology. Many of these aging heroes, who are in their late 80s and early 90s, are still waiting for their rightful benefits... There are currently 11 bills pending in the House [and SENATE] intended to address this issue, which is related to the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation (FVEC) Fund. He should support these measures as they would restore honor, dignity and justice for Filipino veterans, and not use their horrifying plight to promote his own agenda."
 We hope you realize your offensive mistake and agree to our request.
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