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FDC: Accountability needed over martial law right violations

May 10, 2017 | 6:42am

FDC: Accountability needed over martial law right violations

Freedom of Debt Coalition called on President Rodrigo Duterte to stand by the victims of human rights violations and to continue supporting them. People Power Commission, Released/File photo

MANILA, Philippines — Victims of human rights violations during martial law and their allies on Wednesday demanded accountability for those behind the abuses.

"More important than the recognition and compensation is the just demand for the culprits of crimes to be made accountable for their actions, not scot-free and continuing to intervene in political processes to this day," Freedom from Debt Coalition said in a statement on Wednesday.

Formed in 1987, the coalition campaigns for transparency on foreign debt and for a rejection of "illegitimate debt" — including those incurred from the International Monetary Fund and World Bank during the Marcos administration.

FDC released the statement after the Human Rights Victims' Claims Board on Monday distributed partial reparations to more than 300 victims of human rights violations during Martial Law. They were the first among an initial list of 4,000 claimants. The board has already processed around 31,000 claims from a total 75,730 applicants claiming to have been victims of rights abuses during the administration of ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

Reparations will be sourced from P10 billion in ill-gotten Marcos wealth that was turned over the the Philippine government by a Swiss court.

READ: Martial law victims receive compensation

According to FDC and the Nameless Heroes and Martyrs Project, the recovered money is "just a fraction" of an estimated US$10 billion believed to have been plundered by the Marcoses.

The group also called on the Presidential Commission on Good Governance to redouble its efforts to recover the remaining ill-gotten wealth from the Marcos family and their cronies.

They added that Marcos' widow, Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos, and children Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos and former Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. have delayed and blocked proceedings to recover the stolen wealth throughout the years.

"The legacy of the Marcos thievery endures to this day. Directly or indirectly, we are still paying for debts accrued in the Marcos years, a large part of which went to projects that lined the pockets of the dictator and cronies," FDC said, stressing that the economic plunder contributed to the suffering of millions of Filipinos.

"The billions stolen by the Marcoses meant depriving the people of essential education, health, housing and other social services," the group added.

Present-day human rights violations

The group also challenged Congress to craft a law that will lead to a compensatory and restorative justice regime for past and present victims of human rights violations.

"We still bear the scorching marks of Marcos’ loot and loans," the group stressed.

FDC then noted how lenders such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have imposed neoliberal economic policies that they say require huge reductions in public expenditures for social and economic services to make sure that the government can pay its debts.

Broadly, neoliberalism refers to an economic model that favors free markets. Critics of the model say that it has led to less government spending on services and to an emphasis on privatization.

The group also called on President Rodrigo Duterte and his administration to stand behind the human rights victims and provide support by strengthening efforts to recognize all human rights victims and victims of Marcos' economic plunder and give them compensation.

Duterte, who counts the Marcoses as political allies, ordered the board to expedite the release of compensation to martial law victims.

He also, however, allowed the burial of the ousted dictator's remains at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. The burial in November 2016 sparked protests online and in the streets.