THE Filipino war veterans who will benefit from the $198-million pension approved by the US Congress Friday are ?dying at the rate of 500 a month,? Defense undersecretary for veteran and reservist affairs Ernesto Carolina said yesterday.

There are 18,000 Filipino World War II veterans in the list of the US Veterans Affairs Office since September last year, but their numbers are now down to 16,000, Carolina says.

?They are around 18,000, but their numbers have gone down because they are dying at the rate of 500 a month,? he said.

The Philippines thanks the US Congress for finally recognizing the Filipino war veterans as American war veterans, but representations will have to be made in the future for at least 18,000 other claimants who are not in the list, Carolina says.

?They have a deficiency in their list because they stopped counting when they stripped Filipino veterans of their status as US veterans and stripped them of their benefits as well,? he said.

?But based on our tally, it?s double the number in their list or about 36,000. We can raise that issue later when our veterans have already gotten their claims.? Joyce Pangco Pa?ares