JFAV Communique 6301
June 30, 2015

JFAV Delegation with FilVets and Advocates Met with DVA Secretary MacDonald

Los Angeles—“ I Don’t Know How to Answer Your Questions.”

This was the poker-faced answer of the Department Of Veterans Affairs (DVA) Secretary Robert Macdonald when confronted by a delegation of Filipino World War II Veterans and advocates at his office in Washington DC last June 29, 2015.

The delegation was led by Arturo P. Garcia, Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV) National Coordinator, Ms.Bernie-Targa-Ganon of Filipino American Service Group INC (FASGI); Eric Lachica of the ACFV, Veterans Celestino Almeda, Rudy Panglima, Ms. Marzan, Rey Ganon from JFAV and Ret. General Delfin Lorenzana of the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office.

The Meeting

The business meeting with the Secretary and Under Secretary lasted for 30 minutes and was very cordial. The meeting was held at the 9th Floor office of the Secretary of the DVA in 810 Vermont St. Washington DC.

ACFV’s Eric Lachica and Art Garcia of People’s CORE brought to the Secretary’s attention the more than 4,o00 Appeals yet to be decided by the DVA Veterans Appeals Court

DVA Usec Brad Flohr denied at first they have 4,000 current appeals said “they have only 66 appeals on hand.” But later was enlightened by the group that the data ( 4,000 appeals on the lump sum claims) came from DVA itself.

Secretary Macdonald promised to form a working group to look upon the matters that was brought up with the Justice For Filipino American Veterans (JFAV) and the American Coalition of Filipino Veterans (ACFV)

END

****