Gideon C. Corgue
PAGADIAN CITY – A total of 1,142 human rights victims during martial law or relatives of the victims from the cities of Cagayan De Oro, Cotabato, Dapitan, Dipolog and Zamboanga, and the provinces of Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur have filed their application for claims with the regional desks of the Human Rights Victims’ Claims Board (HRVCB) during three-day intake operations at the City Commercial Center here on Sept. 10-12.
HRVCB Board member Galuasch “Bong” Ballaho in an interview with Philippine Information Agency (PIA) said the HRVCB conducted field visits or remote intake operations to accept applications from human rights victims.
Ballaho said the HRVCB Board has approved the setting up of an initial five regional desks in the cities of Cotabato, Davao, Iloilo, Legaspi and Tacloban where the human rights victims could easily file their claims.
Ballaho said under RA 10368 or the Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013, victims of human rights violations under Marcos’ martial rule must file their claims within a six-month period, from May 12 to November 10, 2014. Failure to file within this period will be considered a waiver.
Ballaho said the Philippine government passed a law to recognize victims of martial law, and indemnify them for the sufferings they had gone through.
“They suffered pain of torture and incarceration during the dark years when martial law ruled the Philippines. Many of them were dead, their families destroyed and properties were confiscated by perpetrators,” Ballaho explained whose grandfather was also a victim of human rights violation.
The granting of reparation to human rights victims, Balaho said, is also anchored on the United Nation’s Rights for Remedy for Gross Human Right Violation.
“The law has provided also non-monetary reparation to the children of victims in a form of health benefits and scholarships,” Bullaho added.
Ballaho said the 9,539 Filipinos who filed a class suit against former dictator Marcos in Hawaii in 1986, can now file also their claims at the HRVCB.
Ballaho clarified that it would take one year for the survivors to get their claims. “The application of claims of martial law survivors will undergo verification process from HRVCB. Wee need to verify if they are indeed, victims of martial law atrocities,” he explained.
Ballaho said the remote intake operations in Pagadian City was the second leg of HRVCB’s caravan. The first was held in the cities of Cagayan de Oro, Cotabato, Davao, Lucena, Pampanga, Tarlac, Tuguegarao and Quezon.
