SELDA demands immediate passage of the Marcos victims compensation bill now, victims and kin dismayed over PNoy’s position

Press Release
By SELDA
January 24, 2011

MANILA  –  “It’s about time that the victims under the Marcos dictatorship are accorded a component of justice by recognizing the sacrifice they have made in fighting for the people’s rights and freedoms. The long-overdue measure in Congress seeking indemnification for the victims of Martial Law should be immediately passed. The presence of the Marcoses in both houses of Congress will not deter us from pursuing and demanding that justice and indemnification be served.”

Thus said Fr. Dionito Cabillas, Secretary General of the Samahan ng Ex-detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (SELDA), as Martial Law victims, families and supporters led by SELDA, Karapatan, Bayan Muna, Desaparecidos, among others, conducted a picket protest today at the gates of the House of Representatives in Quezon City, in time for the meeting of principal authors of the five proposed bills in Congress on the Marcos indemnification.

Cabillas expressed support for the two measures filed by the progressive partylist bloc led by the Bayan Muna Reps. Neri Colmenares and Teddy Casino.

“Several versions of House Bills 954 and 1693 have been filed by Bayan Muna since 2001 for the recognition and compensation of victims of human rights violations during the Marcos dictatorship, but until now, a legislation that will render justice and compensation for the victims has yet to be enacted. Recently, the Hawaii court has announced its decision to distribute claims from a Marcos crony to the victims. It is a signal that the Phil. government should act now to pass the law, especially since many of the victims are very old, sick and dying,” he said.

Trinidad Herrera-Repuno, National Board member of SELDA and a torture victim under Martial Law, said that it has been more than two decades ago since the Marcos victims, led by SELDA, filed the class action suit against Marcos for crimes against humanity. In September 1992, the US Federal District Court of Hawaii decided in favor of the 9,539 Filipino victims and ordered the Marcoses to pay the victims almost $2B for damages.  In 1997, the Swiss Supreme Court ordered the transfer of the then US$540 million Marcos ill-gotten Swiss deposits to an escrow account of the Philippine National Bank, in favor of the Philippine Government, and in which the victims who filed the class suit in Hawaii be considered by the government in the release of the funds. Trinidad-Repuno is also one of the original plaintiffs in the Hawaii class suit.

The former urban poor leader said they are dismayed that Aquino has not prioritized the measure as an “urgent legislation,” despite his posturing and statements indicting his interest to compensate the victims.