World War II veterans who are in the twilight of our lives, particularly those who can withstand the rigors of traveling, will again gather together to celebrate Araw ng Kagitingan [Day of Valor] on Mt. Samat in Bataan province on April 9, 2008. Defense Undersecretary Ernesto Carolina, said in an interview on nationwide television that April 5 to 11, 2008 has been declared by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as Philippine Veterans Week. Among the activities lined up during the week is the commemoration of the infamous Death March by retracing the route taken by Filipino and American prisoners of war using the original box car to Capas, Tarlac. Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro will be the guest speaker in the culminating activity, and as usual, President Arroyo will be the guest of honor and speaker at the Mt. Samat commemoration.

In her speech, the President is very likely to promise to release P1 billion to pay for the arrears in the pensions of war veterans. But I wonder if the P1 billion she promised to the veterans on April 9, 2006 and another P1 billion she also promised on April 9, 2007 were ever released. On March 3, 2007, Inquirer columnist Neal H. Cruz asked in his column why President Arroyo has been keeping mum on the missing P1 billion. I joined him in asking the same question through a letter to the editor, titled “More questions about the P1B for war veterans,” which was published in the Inquirer on April 28, 2007.

Now that the 2008 national budget, which incorporates House Bill 443 authored by Rep. Raul del Mar of Cebu and which seeks to increase our pensions to P10,000 a month from the present P 5,000 has already been signed by the President, we hope that the same will be implemented effective January 2008 as the law mandate.

Godofredo O. Peteza, district adjutant, Camarines Norte Veterans District, Daet, Camarines Norte 4600