BY Donato Continente
October 17, 2007
At the first meeting of the Technical Working Group (TWG) on the compensation bill for martial law victims at the House of Representatives on 17 October 2007, SELDA members urged the 14th Congress to immediately pass the bill and uphold the group’s viable proposals for the law to realize its objectives.
“We call on Congress to immediately pass an act for the compensation of martial law victims and to uphold the victims’ right to seek justice,” said SELDA member Romy Luneta.
Luneta said “rendering justice to victims includes restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction and guarantees of non-repetition – this is a basic principle of the rule of law and one of the main pillars of democracy.”
SELDA said that the 14th Congress would make its mark in history if it will enact a law that would acknowledge the State’s moral and legal obligation to render justice to the victims of the worst forms of human rights violations during martial law.
The group said it supports House Bill 1114 but said it is open to a consolidated bill as long as it will not compromise the spirit and intent of the law.
SELDA asserted that the law should reflect an official apology from the State to all victims and give first priority to the 9,539 class suit plaintiffs and the 24 direct action plaintiffs who have won the case against Marcos in the US Federal Court and who have already completed the process of validation.
Many of the victims of human rights violations during martial law are impoverished and worse, many are sick and dying. Fifteen years after a famous judicial decision rendered in their favor, ironically in another country through an international jurisprudence called the Alien Tort Act, no time should be wasted in rendering justice and reparation for victims of crimes against humanity.
“We call on Congress to immediately pass an act for the compensation of martial law victims and to uphold the victims’ right to seek justice,” said SELDA member Romy Luneta.
Luneta said “rendering justice to victims includes restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction and guarantees of non-repetition – this is a basic principle of the rule of law and one of the main pillars of democracy.”
SELDA said that the 14th Congress would make its mark in history if it will enact a law that would acknowledge the State’s moral and legal obligation to render justice to the victims of the worst forms of human rights violations during martial law.
The group said it supports House Bill 1114 but said it is open to a consolidated bill as long as it will not compromise the spirit and intent of the law.
SELDA asserted that the law should reflect an official apology from the State to all victims and give first priority to the 9,539 class suit plaintiffs and the 24 direct action plaintiffs who have won the case against Marcos in the US Federal Court and who have already completed the process of validation.
Many of the victims of human rights violations during martial law are impoverished and worse, many are sick and dying. Fifteen years after a famous judicial decision rendered in their favor, ironically in another country through an international jurisprudence called the Alien Tort Act, no time should be wasted in rendering justice and reparation for victims of crimes against humanity.
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