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For the past 21 years, The Filipino Express has provided the Filipino American community the best news, arts and entertainment coverage from around the United States and the Philippines.
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This website includes selected articles from this week's edition of the Filipino Express. Not all the stories published in the printed version appear on this site.
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WASHINGTON, DC- The flames of hope for ailing Filipino American veterans have been kept alive when the House Veterans Affairs Committee voted to approve H.R. 760, to give pension and benefits to these soldiers who fought for freedom during World War ll.
The Alliance for Filipino Veterans Equity and the American Coalition of Filipino Veterans hailed the approval of the legislation movement and urged Members of Congress to find funding to ensure full equity.
It has been 61 years since Filipino World War II who served under the American Flag were stripped of their U.S. veterans’ status even if these soldiers valiantly and brilliantly fought in the war. It was a big blow on these old soldiers’ dignity as they couldn’t get pension and benefits from the U.S. government The historic action of Congress last Tuesday would move closer to ending the injustice to these great heroes.
“We thank Congressman Bob Filner and all the members of the House Veterans Affairs Committee who voted to pass H.R. 760 on to the House floor. The next step is for a full vote in the Senate on S. 1315 and for a full vote in the House on H.R. 760, “ said Alma Quintans Kern, national chair of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA).
H.R 760, as approved by the House Veterans Affairs Committee, contains key provisions that directly impact Filipino World War II veterans. House Veterans Affairs Committee chairman Bob Filner highlighted its major provisions:
Restores full veterans’ status to Filipino veterans of World War II which privileges have been taken away by the Rescission Acts of 1946.
Permits Filipino veterans of World War II who suffer from disabilities incurred or aggravated by military service with service-connection to receive compensation at the same rate as other U.S. veterans, regardless of where they live. (Amendment from Senate bill)
Permits those eligible for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) to receive those benefits at the same rate as other U.S. veterans, regardless of where they live. (Amendment from Senate bill)
Permits Filipino veterans of World War II and survivors residing in the United States to receive pensions and death pensions paid at the same rate and under the same conditions as U.S. veterans. (Same as Senate bill)
Permits non-U.S. citizen Filipino veterans of World War II residing outside of the United States to be eligible for a pension and death pension paid at a flat rate. (Amendment from Senate bill) $8,400 if married, $6,000 if not married, $3,600 for low-income widow.
If an individual is receiving Social Security overseas, he or she is not eligible for the above mentioned program.
Additionally, an individual may not receive benefits under this chapter if receipt of such benefits would reduce monetary benefits from a foreign government.
.“ The National Alliance for Filipino Veterans Equity (NAFVE) is pleased that the bill has been approved by both the House and Senate Committees. We are thankful to the champions of this bill who have worked tirelessly to ensure that Filipino veterans are treated as equals to the U.S. veterans with whom they had served, “ said Lillian Galedo , NAFVE Co-Chair.
Few years back, President Bush approved granting health benefits for Filipino American veterans at Veterans hospital, allowing these graying and sick veterans to be treated with their illnesses.
“We are thankful to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA), Chairman Michael Honda (D-CA), and we hope the Members of both the House and Senate address the final inequity, by treating all Filipino WWII veterans equally, and passing FULL Equity during this 110th Congress,” said Lourdes Tancinco, NAFVE Steering Committee member and Co-Chair of NNVE. Veterans’ advocates hope that full equity bill would be a reality by August.
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Green Card applications to proceed until August 17
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NEW YORK CITY -- Yielding to protests from foreign workers set to file green card applications and to threats of a lawsuit, the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) announced on Tuesday, July 17, that it will accept employment-based green card applications until August 17.
The USCIS initially gave notice two weeks ago that it would no longer accept green card applications following the July 2 update from the State Department.
The update said that visa numbers for all employment-based categories (except for the Other Worker category) for fiscal year 2007 ending September 30 have been exhausted.
In giving the go-signal for thousands of would-be immigrant workers to file their adjustment of status applications by August 17, the USCIS has effectively reversed its initial refusal to accept worker green card applications.
Expected to benefit from this announcement are thousands of highly skilled workers from top worker-sending countries like the Philippines, India and China, whose green card applications have been stalled since January 2005 by retrogression.
Retrogression occurs when the demand for immigrant visa numbers exceeds the available numbers for a given year. In such a case, the State Department fixes a cut-off priority date, and cases with priority dates falling on or after the prescribed cut-off will not be processed. The cut-off date is announced every month by the State Department.
Many US healthcare facilities have also been waiting for the processing of green card applications of healthcare workers in shortage occupations to continue.
Shortage occupations such as registered nurses (RNs) and physical therapists (PTs) have also been affected by the retrogression.
The 31-day window to file adjustment of status applications with the USCIS places highly skilled workers on the path to permanent residence.
Meanwhile, the State Department recently said it has withdrawn its July 2 update about the unavailability of all employment-based visa numbers.
All worker visa numbers, however, will be unavailable after the August 17 deadline until the end of the fiscal year on September 30.
Prior to the State Department’s July 2 update, worker visa numbers for the first, second and third preferences with the exception of the “Other Worker” category for unskilled occupations would have been available.
This would allow worker green card applications in the pipeline to be processed.
In a press statement, USCIS Director Emilio Gonzales said “the public reaction to the July 2 announcement made it clear that the federal government’s management of this process needs further review. I am committed to working with Congress and the State Department to implement a more efficient system in line with public expectations.”
The USCIS and State Department visa number fiasco generated a public uproar that spurred protest marches by workers from Silicon Valley companies, and threats of litigation from immigrant hopefuls. Immigrant workers also expressed their anger by sending flowers to the USCIS office.
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WASHINGTON -- A former Philippine National Police officer and a former White House security aide and FBI analyst were sentenced to jail for possession and desemination of US secrets to plotters scheming to overthrow the government of the Philippines. Michael Ray Aquino, 41 was sentenced by Judge William H. Walls in Newark, New Jersey to more than six years for unlawfully possessing secret US government documents containing information relating to national defense.
Aquino’s accomplice , Leandro Aragoncillo, a 48-year-old naturalized American who also served in the Marines, was sentenced after pleading guilty in May last year to passing information to high-ranking agitators opposed to President Gloria Arroyo.
Aquino, 41, pleaded guilty to possession of two of what the U. S. government says “47 classified documents discovered” shortly after his arrest in September 2005. Some of these documents were described as “blueprint” to topple the Philippine government of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo that were passed to high government Filipino officials.Aquino was sentenced to 76 months in prison in the presence of his wife and his lawyer.
Aquino was returned to Federal custody, where he has been since his arrest. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karl Buch said Aquino will be credited with 21 months of his time served so far.Aquino will also be placed under three years of supervised release before he will be deported to the Philippines to face criminal charges, notably the double murder of publicist Bubby Dacer and Dacer’s driver, Emmanuel Corbito.
In the case against Aragoncilo, The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s lead agent on the case, Weysan Dun, said Arangoncillo’s sentencing in New Jersey “brings to a close a harmful and disgraceful story of how a formerly trustworthy FBI employee and US Marine can turn into an enemy of the American people and the American way of life.”
“Aragoncillo and his cohort, Michael Ray Aquino, have come full circle in the justice system, and for them the circle ends at a federal penitentiary,” he said.
The US Department of Justice (DoJ) said that Aragoncillo admitted to having met co-conspirators at Manila’s Malacanang presidential palace in January 2001 as part of the plot to undermine the Arroyo government.
Aragoncillo pleaded guilty to four counts of conspiracy to transmit US secrets, transmitting secrets, unlawful retention of secrets and unlawful use of a government computer.
He was also fined 40,000 dollars for his actions, which included stealing classified information from the office of the US vice president from about October 2000 to February 2002.
Aragoncillo served as staff assistant to the vice president’s military advisors under first Al Gore and then Dick Cheney, and had “top secret” security clearance, a DoJ official said.
Some of the information he procured was marked top secret and related to terrorist threats to US government interests in the Philippines, the DoJ said.
Aragoncillo admitted that his espionage activity continued during his time as an FBI intelligence analyst after he left the White House, it said.
“Those charged with protecting the nation have a special responsibility to maintain their oath of loyalty to the United States,” assistant Attorney General Kenneth Wainstein said.
“As a former US Marine and FBI analyst, Aragoncillo betrayed that oath, violated our espionage laws, and now must suffer the consequences of his actions,” he said.
Former movie star Estrada, who has been under house arrest while being tried on corruption charges, has insisted that he was illegally ousted in 2001 and refuses to recognize Arroyo, who was his vice president.
Philippine prosecutors said last month there was “strong evidence” of his guilt as his corruption trial wound up. Estrada is charged with embezzling a fortune of about 80 million dollars during his 30 months in power.
Estrada, along with his ex-police chief Panfilo Lacson and former House of Representatives speaker Arnuflo Fuentebella, were named by US prosecutors as “unindicted co-conspirators” in Aragoncillo’s case. US government officials declined to say if Estrada continued to figure in any DoJ investigations. (MNS)
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MANILA, Philippines - After forty days in captivity, Italian priest Giancarlo Bossi was released by his kidnappers Thursday evening, officials said.
He was released by rogue Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) commander Khidi in Karumatan town at around 9 p.m., said Western Mindanao police director Chief Superintendent Jaime Caringal.
“It was a negotiated release. We got him in Karumatan, Lanao del Sur last night,” Caringal said in a phone interview.
Asked if ransom was paid, Caringal said: “None.”
He said Bossi was at the Western Mindanao police headquarters in Zamboanga City, where Italian embassy officials were waiting for the priest.
In Rome, Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi also announced the release of Bossi.
“Father Giancarlo Bossi has been freed, a car is bringing him to a Philippine police station,” ANSA news agency quoted Prodi as saying.
Pope Benedict XVI welcomed the news with “great joy,” said Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi.
Bossi, 57, was seized in Payao town, Zamboanga Sibugay province last June 10, while he was on his way to celebrate Mass.
Caringal said the Catholic missionary was turned over by his abductors to authorities in the Lanao del Sur province.
“He has been sick for one week. He is tired and he lost weight,” Caringal said of Bossi.
Last week, Marine troops looking for him in Basilan island-province encountered suspected members of the MILF and the al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf, leaving 14 troopers killed, 10 of whom were beheaded.
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