Bicam on human rights compensation bill OKs panel to evaluate claims

Bayan Muna Partylist Representative Neri Colmenares. INQUIRER.NET FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The bicameral conference committee on human rights compensation bill for victims during the Marcos regime has approved the creation of a compensation board which will evaluate claims.

Bayan Muna Partylist Representative Neri Colmenares on Wednesday said that the members of the panel were now discussing the qualifications of the members of the board.

Senate Bill 3334 proposed that the compensation board scrutinized claims for compensation by martial law victims.

The panel is presently in talks to resolve contentious issues on SB 3334 and House Bill 5990, which seeks to include 9,539 human rights victims who were part of a prior complaint adjudged by the US Federal Court System in Hawaii.

The Senate version also requires evidence of human rights violations against the martial law victims.

This goes against the House position, led by the principal author of its version Deputy Speaker Lorenzo Tanada III, which seeks to acknowledge the Hawaii plaintiffs as victims during the Marcos regime without requiring evidence.