Martial law victims indignant over extension of Claims Board

By SELDA
February 1, 2016

QUEZON CITY – “Extending their term, without any guarantee that they will accomplish their task, is like prolonging our agony, many of whom might not receive the reparation and justice they have been fighting all their lives. On top of it all, members of the Claims Board want to secure their personal benefits at our expense.”

So grieved the victims of martial law, speaking through Bonifacio Ilagan, vice-chairperson of SELDA (Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto), himself a torture victim of the Marcos dictatorship. SELDA is up in arms against the term extension of the Claims Board which was created by Pres. Noynoy Aquino to process applications of martial law victims for indemnification and non-monetary recognition.

The martial law victims and their surviving kin held a picket at the House of Representatives on Monday, in protest against House Bill 6024, providing pensions for members of the Claims Board and a two-year extension of their term.

Selda has staunchly opposed the provisions in the amendment providing lump sum retirement benefits and a monthly pension to members of the Claims Board, which shall be deducted from the P10 B allotted for the indemnification of martial law victims. This has been dropped in the proposed amendment. Ilagan explained that while Selda recognizes the large number of victims who applied for reparation, the extension merely serves to secure the tenure of the Aquino-appointed officials and eats up the funds allocated for the victims of martial law.

House Bill 6024, filed by the Akbayan Party-list, was approved last week to amend RA 10368, or the Human Rights Victims Recognition and Reparation Act. The amendment effectively further delays compensation until 2018.

“Many of the ageing victims are sick. They are impoverished and in dire need of financial assistance. They are no different from the multitude of the elderly SSS pensioners who have been deprived of help by a callous and anti-people government,” said Ilagan.