FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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First Regular Session 
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Senate Bill No. 4 73 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The 1987 Constitution explicitly states the Government's policy to "provide 
immediate and adequate care, benefits and other forms of assistance to war 
veterans and veterans of military campaigns, their surviving spouses and 
orphans". This is to be done in order to uphold and secure the well-being of these 
unsung heroes who played significant yet unrecognized roles in our struggle for 
independence of our country. 
Statutes and other measures have been issued and enacted to provide 
the mechanism that would help our very own war veterans achieve socio- 
economic security. The Philippine Veterans Affairs Office, the Veterans Memorial 
Medical Center and the Philippine Veterans Bank were established to provide for 
the various needs of these war veterans, their spouses, and/or their dependents. 
Republic Act No. 6948, as amended by RA 7696, was enacted to standardize 
and upgrade the benefits for military veterans and their dependents. 
Although these war veterans have yet to see the full benefits of the 
implementation of such laws, they still have one aspiration they would like to 
pursue. It is the claims of Filipino veterans of World War II on the full restoration 
of their rights, privileges and benefits from the United States government. These 
benefits were scrapped with the passage of the US Recision Act of 1946 which 
did not recognize services in the organized military forces of the Philippine 
Commonwealth government as services to the US military or naval forces. 
Hence this bill is being proposed. This measure seeks to establish and 
maintain an Office of Veterans Affairs in the Philippine Embassy in the United 
States of American government and other agencies and entities which can 
enhance the favorable consideration of the claims of Filipino war veterans. 
Since most of these veterans are in their twilight years already, and are 
diminishing in number, the urgent approval of this measure is hereby earnestly 
sought. 
u s e n a t o r  
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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
'7 & -'> 
! Y t  .. 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
i 
, , , .  I )  
First Regular Session 
1 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
AN ACT 
TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN THE OFFICE OF VETERANS AFFAIRS IN 
THE PHILIPPINE EMBASSY IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 
PRESCRIBING ITS FUNCTIONS, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR 
OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Declaration of policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of 
the Government to pursue the claims of Filipino veterans of World War II and 
work for the full restoration of their rights, privileges and benefits from the United 
States government. 
SEC. 2. Establishment of the Office of Veterans Affairs. - For the 
attainment of this goal, there is hereby created an Office of Veterans Affairs in 
the Philippine Embassy in the United States of America mandated with the task 
of making formal representations, consultations and negotiations or otherwise 
cause the conduct of sustained and effective lobbying with appropriate office of 
the legislative and executive branches of the United States government and 
other agencies and entities which can enhance the favorable consideration of the 
claims of Filipino veterans. The office shall be in existence for five (5) years from 
the date of approval of this Act or until the Filipino veterans shall have availed of 
their legitimate claims, time of which shall not exceed another five (5) years. 
SEC. 3. Staffing. - The Office of Veterans Affairs shall have a staff 
consisting of a head appointed by the President of the Philippines, two (2) 
administrative assistants assigned by the Secretary of the Department of 
National Defense a special presidential representative who shall have a 
comparable diplomatic rank. 
SEC. 4. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the initial 
implementation of this Act shall be charged against the current year's 
appropriations for the operational requirements of the Veterans Affairs Office in 
Washington D.C. authorized under the budget of the Department of Foreign 
Affairs. Thereafter, the amount necessary for the continued implementation of 
this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. 
SEC. 5. Effectivity. - This Act shall take'effect upon its approval. 
Approved,