Senate bill seeks compensation for human rights victims

A senator who was imprisoned during the Marcos regime has filed a bill seeking to grant compensation to victims of human rights violations during the late strongman's reign, with the money to be sourced from the supposed ill-gotten wealth of the Marcos family. According to Senate Bill 2615 filed by Sen. Sergio "Serge" Osmeña III, compensation for the victims is an obligation of the state. Osmeña was imprisoned for five years starting in 1972. In November 1974, he embarked on a hunger strike along with his cellmate, ABS-CBN's Eugenio "Geny" Lopez Jr., to protest the unjust detention of thousands of innocent Filipinos. This resulted in the release of 1,022 political prisoners in December 1974. Osmeña and Lopez escaped from their maximum security prison cell in Fort Bonifacio in 1977. Under Osmeña's bill, beneficiaries shall be given compensation proportional to the gravity of the human rights violation committed against them. Victims who died, were tortured, detained, harassed or “economically disadvantaged" during the Marcos regime shall be given priority in that order, the proposed measures states. According to the bill, the 9,539 people named as class suit plaintiffs in the human rights litigation against Marcos before the United States District Court in the State of Hawaii shall likewise be entitled to the same compensation. If the victim had passed away, his or her nearest living relative shall become the beneficiary. The bill likewise says that human rights victim seeking compensation shall be asked to execute a detailed sworn statement with accompanying documentation narrating what happened to him or her. Funding for the compensation shall be sourced from the supposed ill-gotten wealth of the Marcos presently held in escrow in a Swiss bank. On the other hand, it says human rights victims who opt not to collect compensation shall be given recognition by having their names enshrined in a roll of human rights victims to be prepared by the an independent and quasi-judicial body to be known as the Human Rights Claims Board. It says the roll shall be filed with the national library and other offices dedicated to the prevention of human rights abuses. SB 2615 is pending before the Senate committee on justice and human rights. It will be tackled by the panel on Tuesday. - Kimberly Tan/KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV