BY JENNIE L. ILUSTRE

WASHINGTON – President Arroyo will make an official visit on June 24 or earlier if the Filipino war veterans pension bill is approved by the House of Representatives, an independent source said on Monday.

The source said Arroyo will be meeting with President George W. Bush on economic and security issues.

A top embassy official Monday declined comment when asked about Arroyo’s official visit.

The highlight of the meeting between the two presidents will be the legislation of the pension provision for some 12,000 non-service (no combat-related injury) Filipino World War II veterans in the Philippines, and about 6,000 of their counterparts in the US.

The US Senate by a vote of 96-1 passed S.1315 or the Veterans Benefits Enhancement Act of 2007 last April 24.

S. 1315 included a provision that would restore pension benefits, but not retroactively, to surviving non-service veterans, their spouse or their widows. The amount will depend on a compromise by lawmakers.

The Rescission Act of 1946, now Section 107, Title 38 of the US Code, stopped pensions for non-service Filipino WWII veterans.

Ambassador Willy C. Gaa said before the US Senate vote that President Arroyo would not be present when Bush signs the pension bill into law.

He explained S. 1315 was "an omnibus bill for all US veterans," not solely for Filipino veterans.

But Gaa did not close the door on a separate ceremony with Arroyo, the veterans and their Philippine and US supporters.

President Arroyo will also be accompanied by Sen. Richard Gordon, who authored the Filipino World War II Veterans Pensions and Benefits Act of 2008 or R.A. 9499 which Arroyo signed into law during the Araw ng Kagitingan last April 9 in Bataan.

The law allows Filipino veterans to continue receiving a monthly old age pension of P5,000 from the Philippine government in addition to similar pensions and benefits to be provided by the US government.

Also joining the delegation is Rep. Carissa O. Coscolluela (Buhay), who authored a House companion bill.

President Bush reportedly promised President Arroyo at last year’s Asian Pacific Economic Conference leaders’ photo op that he would sign the bill once it reaches his desk.

RELENTLESS LOBBYING

For the first time in nearly 20 years, the pension bill has gotten this far, in part due to the Democrats, who have championed the Filipino veterans campaign for equity benefits. They regained Congress in 2006.

Also a factor was the lobbying of the American Coalition for Filipino Veterans, the National Federation of Filipino American Associations based here, and the efforts of Philippine ambassadors, particularly Gaa and his predecessor, Albert del Rosario.

Arroyo gave the all-out push that included hiring American lobbyists Stuart Eizenstat of Covington & Burling LLP, and lately, former Republican Congressman Benjamin Gilman.

Although the Democrats have a 200-plus majority in the 435-member House, the bill needs the support of Republicans.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Democrat, California) wants 60 Republicans to be on board the bill, according to several sources.

NEARLY DERAILED

S. 1315 was nearly derailed when Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, the ranking Republican in the committee on veterans affairs, introduced an amendment, later defeated 56-41.

The amendment would have stricken out the proposed $221 million pension. Burr, who supported a pension for Filipino veterans residing in the US, opposed a pension for Filipino non-service connected veterans living in the Philippines.

Gilman co-authored Filipino veterans benefit bills in the 1990s with Congressman Bob Filner (D-CA), chair of the House committee on veterans affairs.

THE LAST BENEFIT

In 1941, when the Philippines was an American Commonwealth, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued a military order to the Commonwealth Army of the Philippines. Some 470,000 Filipino men and women answered the call.