MANILA – Three decades since the fall of President Ferdinand Marcos’ dictatorship, survivors of human rights violations during his imposed martial law continue to seek justice for the terrors they suffered.
On March 28, Hawaii District Court Judge Manuel Real issued an order to dispense $1,500 to about 6,500 registered martial law victims. This is a follow up to his decision granting the settlement of $13.75-million that was charged to the proceeds of the selling of seized art pieces owned by former First Lady Imelda Marcos.
American human rights lawyer Robert Swift in a statement said that distribution of claims in six cities in Mindanao will start on May 1, while the disbursement in other areas will be in July.
In response, former Commission on Human Rights (CHR) chairperson Etta Rosales belittles the US court order of awarding about $10-million to the victims of atrocities during the Marcos regime.
In an interview with Bombo Radyo, Rosales asserted that no amount of money can compensate the lives of those killed and the pains of their families.
“Papaano mo ibabalik yung buhay (ng mga biktima) dahil pinatay ito ng mga militar sa ilalim ni Marcos?” (How can you return the lives of the victims killed by the military under Marcos?),” says Rosales.
Rosales, one of the victims of human rights violations during the Marcos regime, was instrumental in the class suit against the former statesman filed in Hawaii District Court. The legal battle resulted to a verdict partially fulfilled in 2011, holding Marcos liable for gross human rights violations during his reign.
She was also one of the authors of the law that created the now defunct Human Rights Victims’ Claims Board (HRVCB) in 2013. Since the law was enacted, HRVCB data showed that only around 11,000 victims out of over 75,000 approved applicants have received compensation.
Recently, President Rodrigo Duterte signed a law that extends the distribution of human rights claims.
