House passes bill compensating Marcos victims

Almost 15 years after Swiss authorities transferred $540 million in ill-gotten Marcos deposits to the Philippines, the House of Representatives finally approved a bill allotting the money to thousands of human rights victims during the late dictator’s reign.

House Bill No. 5990, whose authors included lawmakers who were tortured and detained during martial law, spells out the state’s obligation to compensate at least 9,539 human rights victims recognized by the US Federal Court System in Hawaii.

It mandates that the victims receive compensation from a fund sourced from Ferdinand Marcos’ ill-gotten wealth that was forfeited by Swiss courts in favor of the Philippine government in December 1997.

That year, the Swiss Federal Supreme Court transferred $540 million Marcos deposits in Swiss banks to the Philippine government on condition that the assets were declared ill-gotten and that just compensation to martial law victims was guaranteed.

For close to two years under the Aquino administration, rights victims bewailed the delay in the passage of the compensation measure.

“That’s long overdue. It’s about time. We commend the House for passing it on third reading. That’s one step closer for the victims to get recognition,” Karapatan chairperson Marie Hilao-Enriquez said in a phone interview.

“Hopefully, the Senate will do its own work to pass a version that will reflect the voice of the victims,” she added.

The legislation recognizes the heroism and sacrifices of Filipinos who were victims of summary execution, torture, involuntary disappearance and other gross human rights violations during the Marcos regime.

The bill was authored by Deputy Speaker Lorenzo Tañada III, Representatives Edcel Lagman of Albay, Rene Relampagos of Bohol and Joseph Emilio Abaya of Cavite; Walden Bello and Kaka Bag-ao of the Akbayan party-list group; Teddy Casiño and Neri Colmenares of Bayan Muna; Rafael Mariano of Anakpawis, Luzviminda Ilagan and Emerenciana de Jesus of Gabriela, Raymond Palatino of Kabataan and Antonio Tinio of ACT Teachers.

The measure covers human rights violations committed from Sept. 21, 1972, to Feb. 25, 1986, by persons acting in an official capacity or by agents of the state.

Under the bill, a Human Rights Victims Compensation Board will evaluate and approve all the claims under the proposed statute, as well as apportion points to the violations and compute the compensation accordingly.

The amount of compensation would be based on a point system devised in the measure—ranging from one to 10—depending on the gravity of the rights violation, and as determined by the board.

It does not bar rights victims, who are not on the list, from filing a claim with the board. Twenty percent of the total compensation fund will be allotted to them.

In 2010, a federal court in Texas approved a $10-million settlement between Marcos crony, the late Jose Yao Campos, and human rights victims of martial law. Some 7,600 victims became eligible to receive $1,000 each from the settlement.

The amount came from the sale of Campos’ properties in Texas bought with ill-gotten Marcos wealth.