Nene: RP vets may feel brunt of US ire over Iraq pullout.

(From Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Byline: TJ Burgonio

UNLESS it is appeased by the Philippine government, the United States might "freeze" pending legislation that seeks to grant pension benefits to Filipino war veterans in retaliation for last month's pullout of Filipino troops from Iraq.

Sen. Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel Jr. yesterday voiced the fear that the much-anticipated benefits for Filipino veterans of World War II might be the next "target of reprisal" by the US, which deplored the country's withdrawal of its 51-man humanitarian contingent from Iraq.

Pimentel said that a bill granting pension and other benefits to local WWII veterans at par with their American counterparts was being deliberated upon in the US Congress when the diplomatic row erupted between Manila and Washington over the troop pullout.

"I'm afraid that this bill, called the Filipino War Veterans Equity Act, will be the next target of pressure by the Americans to make us really toe the line," Pimentel said in a statement.

To avert the possible delay, or worse, the shelving of the bill, the government should "face squarely the reality of strained Philippine-US relations by taking decisive action to placate Washington and explain its decision on the issue," he said.