SAN FRANCISCO - The San Francisco-based Veterans Equity Center (VEC) said it plans to file a lawsuit against the Department of Veterans Affairs in federal court.

The group is suing on behalf of over 11,000 Filipino World War II veterans whose lump sum claims were denied because they were not in the so-called “Missouri List.”

The list is the database that supposedly includes the names of all personnel who served in the US armed forces in the 20th century.

But the VEC said while the Missouri List is an authoritative reference, it may have left out others who legitimately served.

The lawsuit will dispute this list as the only basis for approving veterans’ claims.  The group is also challenging Veteran Affairs’ practice of questioning loyalty to determine if a “manong” is eligible for the lump sum payment.

Attorney Lou Tancinco and founder of the Veterans Equity Center said, “Last year we thought this was going to be an expeditious handling of their claims, but it’s just the opposite. This judicial strategy that the VEC has adopted, we are hopeful to get the desired results”.

Tancinco said the bottom line was to finally get justice for Filipino World War II veterans.

“What we are asking for is strictly an enforcement of the law and prior provisions and practices of the V-A that they have accepted other evidence of military services other than the Missouri list. This happened before. This issue came up already, and now it’s coming out again in these claims and we would like to elucidate this fact,” said Tancinco.

Attorney Lou Tancinco is also the counsel for Pinoy Panawagan. Balitang America