4,000 Martial Law victims to get compensation

MANILA, Philippines — The Human Rights Victims’ Claims Board (HRVCB) is set to release initial payments to 4,000 Martial Law victims by the second quarter of 2017.

The decision of the HRVCB to release initial payments came after President Rodrigo Duterte issued the order on Thursday, January 19, during a meeting with members of the Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (SELDA).

SELDA, an organization of former political detainees in the country, was founded on Dec. 4, 1984 and was initiated by former political prisoners during Martial Law.

HRVCB, meanwhile, is a board created in 2013 through Republic Act 10368, an act to recognize and provide compensation to the victims of human rights violations during Martial Law.

"We presented the plan and the President expressed support. However, we are still bound to comply with all the processes required by law," HRVCB Chairperson Lina Sarmiento said on Monday in a press release.

As of January 23, the board has already adjudicated 30,027 claims and plans to release the partial compensation to the 4,000 claimants while processing the remaining 45,703 applications for recognition simultaneously.

According to Sarmiento, the board is "right on track" based on their timeline. She said that they contemplated on giving out partial payouts early instead of the original plan to first evaluate all 75,730 applications "but opted to stick to the full completion of the initial phase."

The president, together with his Cabinet, including Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez and Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno, committed to assisting the board through various executive department offices.

"With the expression of commitment and support by the President, we are confident that the Claims Board will be able to make partial payments and complete the task of adjudicating all the claims within the period provided by law," Sarmiento added.

Senate President and PDP-Laban party president Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel praised the president for issuing the order.

"President Duterte shows that he will always be on the side of those who are wronged, and he will always fight for the helpless," Pimentel said in a statement on Wednesday.

PDP-Laban is a political party founded by former Senate President Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel during Martial Law, and was one of the largest opposition political parties that played a key role to the ouster of former President Ferdinand Marcos in the 1986 presidential elections.