Abat to head Military Service Board

MANILA, Philippines - President Arroyo has named retired Gen. Fortunato Abat to head the reconstituted Military Service Board to process unpaid state benefits to Filipino World War II veterans.

The government will review around 106,000 claims for compensation in line with a new law that formed a board to assess the applications of those who claim to be World War II veterans.

“There are around 106,000 applications. I think only 20 to 30 percent of these are from true guerillas or soldiers who fought during the war,” Defense Undersecretary for Veterans Affairs Ernesto Carolina told The STAR in a phone interview yesterday.

He said the military service board headed by Gen. Abat will thoroughly screen the applications to weed out false claimants who are after the benefits of legitimate veterans.

Abat was the same retired general who called for the overthrow of Arroyo on Dec. 15, 2005 while she was attending a conference in Kuala Lumpur and declared himself the leader of an interim government.

Abat’s move against Arroyo - who at that time barely survived an impeachment attempt over allegations of election fraud - was mocked by Palace officials, but still saw fit to take action.

“I am not saying I’m the 14th president,” Abat declared, adding that he was mandated by his supporters to “form a government to confront the crisis.”

The government later filed sedition charges against the aging general.

President Arroyo signed into law last December Republic Act no. 9828, creating a board that would evaluate the pending applications of those who claim to have performed military service from Dec. 8, 1941 to July 3, 1946.

Carolina, who is also administrator of the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO), explained that there are pending applications since the two previous boards had closed without processing them.

The first board folded up in 2001 while the second one ceased operations in 2004.

“Some may have filed applications to try their luck to see if they can avail of the benefits. But the board will make sure that only those qualified will secure approval,” Carolina said in Filipino.

“We will fast track the processing of claims so our World War II heroes will get the benefits they deserve,” he added.

Carolina said qualified veterans will receive back pay, which may range from P700,000 to P800,000 and a monthly pension of P5,000. He said the PVAO will launch information campaigns to reach as many veterans as possible.

The new military service board is composed of a retired military officer, two representatives from PVAO and two World War II veterans.

The board shall fold up three years after the law took effect or until the time the last application has been processed, but not more than five years.

Applicants should present evidence such as military service records or affidavit that will prove that they are war veterans.

An amount of P4 million from the savings of the defense department was set aside to fund the first year of the implementation of the law.

Applicants who falsify documents to make fraudulent claims may be slapped with a jail term of six to twelve years and be fined from P20,000 to P50,000 upon conviction.