A Tribute to A Real American Hero

Eulogy

A Tribute to A Real  American Hero

Mang Peping is a Filipino. An Ilocano, short and stocky. But he stood taller than the rest of us.

That is because he cast a giant shadow in the Filipino-American community in America.

He fought and sued the  government of the United States  and they won in the court and were one of the first Filipino to be naturalized as an American citizen because he was a veteran. This was  due to judicial fiat. That is why we filed a case against the DVA because we are going to the course that Mang Peping went through in 1986.

I am happy that Congressman Becerra spoke in the hall of the US Congress to put into the US Congressional records and pointed out that Mang Peping was and is an American Veteran. No one can dispute that. He belongs to what America calls “ the greatest generation” though until now they refused to recognize the Filipino World War II veterans as American veterans.

Our friend, Mel Ilomin from California Senator Gil Cedillo reported that the California Assembly adjourned in his honor.It was nice gesture from them to honor our hero.

A Man of Controversy

Mang Peping is a man of controversy. He filed the case against FASGI in the 1990’s to fight corruption. He was against the Equity Village in 1999 and was very uncompromising in that because he say something dubious about it  and will be used for political purposes. He was branded as “ as a communist agitator together with Edwin Habacon and Joe Navidad” because of that  but he never budge from his position.

Mang Peping was an anti-imperialist and internationalist. He represented People’s CORE as a board of director in the ILPS in Zuthpen, the Netherlands during its founding congress in the in 2001. He represented not only the veterans but the plight of the elderly and the Filipinos in America.

Again in 1999, due to the problems about the Equity Village in Los Angeles and the failure of “all of nothing” campaign” in the US Congress, he was with us in founding the Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV) and went for the incremental benefits. People called us “ collaborators’ but again he never budge and took it as a grain of salt. But when we won benefits, they were the first to claim it and forgot that they call us names.

In 2002, during the Veterans Day Parade, an American general from the Army Volunteers tired to stop a speaker from KMB from criticizing the US war in Afhanistan and Iraq. They want to stop her from speaking but Mang Peping told them let her speak.

The US Army volunteers platoon criticized Mang Peping and said they will not join anymore any Filipino veterans day march because of what happened. Mang Peping resigned his commission as a Captain in the USVA than to accept the imposition of the US veterans volunteers. He even returned his uniform to highlight his displeasure. He stood by the youth who always supported the veterans.

He told them; " you can never or ever stop our youth to speak against the war."

A Man of Principles

He stood with People’s CORE and never compromised on the questions of money when a funding agency wanted the People’s CORE to be subsumed under another agency in order to get the grant. People’s CORE was in financial crisis for a time and many detractors wished it will close but Mang Peping stood with us and we weather all the problems with his magnanimous help. Mang Peping  will never compromise his principles even for millions of dollars.

Again in 2008, he was again mired in another controversy. He was  just like many of us, were not satisfied with the lump sum but agreed that we take the benefit and continue to the fight. By then, he was instrumental in forming the group of widows.

He never wanted to call them as “ veterans auxillaries” but a widows organization. He was aware that the widows of the veterans who fought for equity as well as deceased veterans were excluded from the lump sum. Thus the AWARE was born in 2008 in Los Angeles and later in San Francisco, California.

He never wanted the lump sum. But as he said” Kunin ang 15,000 , ituloy ang laban.” Even at the last time  even he was sick, he spoke at the Veterans Day rally at FACLA on November 11, 2009, he has only one call for all of us: “CONTINUE THE FIGHT!”

Me and mang Peping as the song goes “were inseparable”. I spent more time with him then with my immediate family. I was there with him for three reasons; 1) to read LA TIMES because I know he has one 2) to eat lunch with him and talk on issues 3) to tacticize and strategize about the veterans and community campaigns.

An American War Hero

Mang Peping, you are an American Veteran. No US Congress, no court or any man can take that truth that you for fought for the Philippines and America.

That American flag that is shrouded in your coffin is a living testament that you are an American veteran. No one can take that away from you.

Mang Peping, as we promised to you we will continue the fight for equality, for justice and for dignity and honor. We will not let up until we gain victory for your cause and our cause.

I salute you as our hero.