Arroyo offers election advice to Filipinos in U.S

President Gloria Arroyo yesterday asked Filipinos in the U.S. to vote for pro-Philippine congressmen, adding that their votes can make a difference to any American politician seeking public office in the U.S.

In a meeting with Filipinos in San Jose, California, Arroyo endorsed U.S. congressmen Bob Filmer, Randy Cunningham, Daryl Issa and Susan Davis who are seeking another term in the elections in November.

They joined Arroyo in her meeting with Filipino-Americans at the Marriott Hotel in San Diego, California.

The congressmen were behind the approval of the bill that seeks to expand the benefit for healthcare, compensation and burial for ageing Filipino World War II Veterans.

The bill, which is still pending approval in the U.S. Senate, also seeks the allocation of $65 million for the Filipino veterans over the next five years.

Earlier, sources said Arroyo would come home empty-handed because U.S. President George W. Bush vetoed the U.S. congress approval of the $30 million allocation for the Philippine armed forces from the $5 billion military assistance for all allies in the global anti-terrorism campaign.

But U.S. Admiral Thomas Fargo, Commander in Chief of the U.S. Forces in the Pacific, gave Arroyo assurance that the $30 million assistance will be allocated by the Pentagon, not through the U.S. national budget, said Chief of Staff Rigoberto Tiglao.

"Admiral Fargo assured us that they could find ways and means to provide that amount without going through the national budget. They would get it from the Pentagon's own budget," Tiglao explained, adding that the U.S. Congress is not expected to object to the allocation since "the Pentagon has leeway in moving its budget around, particularly for (military) assistance".