Los Angeles Veterans Show of Force
for December 19 San Diego Congress Hearing
Will Demand Immediate Passage of Equity Bill HR 491

by Richard Bis

Los Angeles-- "We call all veterans to come to the December 19 San Diego Congressional Hearing and let us show them our massive force and unity. Let us demand to the US Congress to pass the HR 491 Equity Bill now!"

This was the call of JFAV Coordinator, Alyansa ng Komunidad(AK) chair and American Coalition of Filipino Veterans (ACFV)Western Region Chair, Faustino "Mang Peping" Baclig to Filipino World War II veterans, youth and students and community advocates.

The US Veterans Affairs Committee will hold a Congressional hearing on December10 at 09:00 AM at the Eastlake High School at 1120 EastLake Parkway 91915, Chula Vista, California, the first of such hearing in the state,outside of the US Congress. FASGI Executive Director and New FACLA receiver Susan Maquidang will speak as a witness in the said hearing." JFAV co-coordinator and Peoples CORE organizer Al P.Garcia said.

"Justice for Filipino American Veterans(JFAV) enjoins the UFAV led by Commander Cres Abad, Arcadio Basat and Eugene Mondok, SGSI of Commander Manny Aquino,veteran leaders Franco Arcebal,Jaime Catral, Sammy Icalina,and San Fernando leader Segundo Calderon to assemble at 7:00 December 19 at FASGI Building,135 Parkview St. Los Angeles and board the buses that will ferry them to and from San Diego on that day." Baclig added.

"Students, youth activists and community leaders will fully mobilize to show our support to the veterans. We should follow-up mass actions and Philippine President Macapagal-Arroyo's initiative to keep the momentum now that HR 491 is up again on the US Congress hearing, Let us show our disgust and anger at the US Congress dillydallying and playing a deaf ears to our veterans just cause." Jose Buktaw, AK vice chair and Peoples CORE organizer for South Bay said.

"We expect student and community organizations supporting the Justice for Filipino American Veterans Campaign in Southern California especially in San Diego to come out and be heard.  We would also like encourage the mainstream media, Filipino newspapers, and the API media to fully cover this event." added Buktaw.

For years, San Diego community members and students especially from University of California San Diego, San Diego State, and Southwestern College annually joins JFAV events in Los Angeles.  This time around, it will be the Veterans, community advocates, youth, and students from Los Angeles who will travel to San Diego for an all out demonstration of support for the Filipino World War II Veterans and the passage of HR 491.

"We call on all veterans community supporters and friends to come to the hearing and lend support to the veteran's cause. Peoples CORE's Joe Navidad, FASGI's and FACLA reciever Susan Maquindang, SIPA's Joel Jacinto, the three main Filipino community organizations in Los Angeles endorsed JFAV action on this hearing." Garcia ended.

For more information on the San Diego Congressional hearing and activities on Dec.19 please contact Richard Bis @ (310)210-2883 and Al P. Garcia @ (213)625-7705 or email @ [email protected]