Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 12) — The Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives has filed a measure seeking a ₱10 billion budget for the compensation of victims of human rights violations during martial law.
Under House Bill 3505 filed by representatives from Gabriela, Kabataan, and ACT Teachers party-lists, the compensation fund will be sourced from the ill-gotten wealth recovered from the Marcos family by the Presidential Commission on Good Government and remitted to the national treasury.
In 2003, the Philippine Supreme Court awarded to the government $658 million of late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos’ frozen Swiss bank deposits.
Those eligible to receive the proposed compensation should’ve been a victim of human rights violation by state agents from the time martial law was declared by Marcos in September 1972 until his government was toppled by the EDSA People Power Revolution in February 1986.
The bill also calls for the creation of a human rights violation victims’ recognition and reparation board that will process claims.
Kabataan Rep. Raoul Manuel on Thursday said the bill seeks to recognize the suffering of over 70,000 human rights violation victims during martial law.
He noted that only 11,000 victims received compensation under Republic Act 10368, an earlier law recognizing those who suffered under martial law.
“Sa amin pong mga kabataan, sila po yung patunay na hindi tsismis ang martial law, hindi tsismis ang kasaysayan. Totoong tao sila,” he said.
[Translation: To us the youth, those who received compensation are proof that martial law happened. They are real people.]
The board which processed claims for compensation was dissolved in 2018.
Former Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo, a martial law victim, said the bill will provide continuity in the quest for justice of those who suffered under martial law.
CNN Philippines correspondent Xianne Arcangel contributed to this report.
