Federal District Court Recently Dismissed Filipino WWII Class Action Suit
On March 26, 1945, Veteran Edmundo voluntarily enlisted with the Military Police, 3rd Replacement Battalion, Philippine Army under the U.S. Armed Forces of the Far East. In his claim for one time benefit under the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation (FVEC), he vividly recalls being in the lead vehicle escorting a convoy of four trucks full of Japanese Prisoners of War. He was with the elements of the 11th Infantry Division and the 11th Airborne Division in Southern Luzon who fought and successfully drove away the Japanese Imperial Army. More importantly, Veteran Edmundo has in his possession a photograph of himself with a group of American soldiers standing in the back row. Despite all of this concrete evidence of military service, the name of Veteran Edmundo was not in the Missouri List or the National Personnel Record Center at St. Louis Missouri. His claim for compensation of $15,000 under the FVEC was denied.
In his video hearing held on February 12, 2013 Veteran Edmundo reiterated his claim for benefits under the FVEC before the Board of Veterans Appeal. Interestingly, after presenting his case, the Board Member asked only one irrelevant question: “Are you happy about your hearing today?” Veteran Edmundo, hiding his downheartedness, answered affirmatively. He realized the uncertainty and the strong possibility of denial of his veteran claim for benefits. His case is similar to the other veterans whose names are not on the Missouri list and whose claims were recently denied in judicial courts.
The Missouri List
The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) is home to the Revised Reconstructed Guerrilla Roster ((RRGR) also known as the “Missouri List”. This is the official database of all personnel who served in the armed forces in the 20th century, which is housed in St. Louis Missouri.
The Missouri List is now incomplete and inaccurate. In 1973, a disastrous fire at the NPRC destroyed approximately 80 percent of Army personnel records from November 1, 1912 to January 1, 1960. As a result, verification at the NPRC of thousands of Filipino World War II veterans’ service yielded negative results. The case of Veteran De Fernandez is a classic example of a genuine war veteran whose name is not in the Missouri list.
Veteran De Fernandez enlisted on June 10, 1940 with the 24th Field Artillery Regiment which was then part of the United States Army’s Philippine Division. It was formed in 1922 and was based at Ft. Stotsenburg in the Philippines. He participated in the defense of Manila and after the United States army’s capitulation, he was captured by the Japanese Imperial Army and forced to walk the infamous Bataan Death March. He later was incarcerated at the Camp O’Donnell Concentration Camp in 1942. For his valiant service, he was awarded the American Defense Service Medal with one bronze star, the Asiatic Pacific Theatre Medal with one bronze star, the Distinguished Unit Badge with two oak leaf clusters, the Philippine Defense Ribbon with one bronze star, and the Philippine Liberation Ribbon with one bronze star.
Despite his well-decorated service on behalf of the United States his name does not appear on the Missouri List. He is one of the plaintiffs in the case of De Fernandez et al v. Department of Veterans Affairs filed with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
Unfavorable Judicial Decisions
The month of February is a tragic month for thousands of World War II veterans who are appealing their denials of compensation under the FVEC. On February 7, 2013, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decided against the plaintiff veterans in the case of Recinto v. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs based on lack of jurisdiction.
The latest blow against the Filipino World War II veterans came this week in a decision released on February 19, 2013 by the U.S. District Court of Northern California. The court dismissed the class action lawsuit filed by Veteran RomeoDe Fernandez, Ciriaco C. Dela Cruz and Valeriano C Marcelino and the Veterans Equity Center challenging the procedural policy of the Veterans Affairs of relying solely on the Missouri list as basis for denying benefits under the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund.
While the Recinto case involves similar circumstances with the De Fernandez case, they are also distinct in some ways. The De Fernandez case is a class action suit and involves an organization as a plaintiff, the Veterans Equity Center. In a prior precedent case, Ninth Circuit ruled that district courts are not divested of jurisdiction where an organization is a plaintiff. Nonetheless, Judge Saundra Brown Armstrong dismissed plaintiff veterans’ case for lack of jurisdiction.
President Obama reiterated in October 2012, his commitment to honor and address the impending concerns of our Filipino World War II veterans by establishing the Inter-Agency Working Group. The latter is composed of the National Archives Record Administration, Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs. Likewise, a 335-page document entitled “U.S. Army Recognition Program of Philippine Guerillas” was released in December 2012 with the hope that the 24,385 whose FVEC claims were denied be reconsidered. Instead of positive outcome of claims, these adverse judicial decisions and still more outrageous VA denial of claims were being released recently. It makes us reflect on whether our World War II veterans will ever receive the justice they truly deserve. Or will their recognition remain frustratingly elusive?
(Tancinco may be reached at law@tancinco.com or at 871 7877 or 721 1963)
