Partial compensation finalized for Martial Law victims

Photo: Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foundation/Facebook.com

The Human Rights Victims’ Claims Board (HRVCB) had approved the first batch of claims entitled for compensation for human rights violations during the Marcos Dictatorship.

Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (SELDA) Spokesperson, Danilo de la Fuente, was among the 4,000 people who had won a class action suit against the Marcos family in Hawaii. He is amongst many others who will be given P100,000 in compensation for being a victim of human rights abuse and torture by the Marcos Regime.

De la Fuente sat down with the Inquirer and presented a document citing that he was in the custody of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) when he was hit against a wall and was punched in various parts of the body during  February of 1982. Meanwhile, fellow SELDA member and class action suit plaintiff, Trinidad Herrera-Repuno, was electrocuted in the breasts and fingers in order to force her to admit being a communist.

For Repuno, the act of  issuing the compensation was meant to demonstrate  “justice for what has been done to the Filipino people”.

As of the moment, the 4,000 claimants entitled for compensation are just the mere 5 percent of the total 75,730 claims filed before the HRVCB. According to information officer Beverly Castillo, as of mid-April of the current year more than 32,000 claims had been investigated. In the case of the 4,000 claimants, 2,661 were called “conclusively presumed victims” while the rest were new applicants.

From data released by the HRVCB, it can be seen that Metro Manila accounts for the biggest number of approved claims at  617. Other claimants are from the following: Davao Region (476), Western Visayas, (465), Eastern Visayas (387), CALABARZON (347), Central Luzon (323), and Bicol Region (225).

Although the Solid North has been known as a major support hub for the Marcos family, the region has 182 claimants from the Cagayan Valley, while there are 109 claimants in the Ilocos Region.

Other regions include Northern Mindanao with 106 claimants, 84 in the Cordillera Administrative Region, 82 in Central Visayas, 17 in MIMAROPA, and there are 23 claimants who are currently living overseas.