Aquino vows compensation for human rights victims

MANILA, Philippines—President Benigno Aquino III Wednesday said he would ensure the compensation of victims of human rights violations under the Marcos regime a day after a lawyer for the claimants said no Filipino president was keen on indemnifying the victims with recovered ill-gotten wealth.

Robert Swift, the legal counsel of compensation claimants, has said that past presidents, including the late former President Corazon Aquino, wasn’t keen on drawing from the Marcos ill-gotten wealth to compensate the rights violation victims.

President Aquino said that when he was still a congressman, he supported a bill that amended the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) so that part of the proceeds from recovered Marcos wealth that otherwise would all go to the land reform program may also be funneled to the compensation fund.

“(It) didn’t pass and wasn’t acted on. But during my term, we will ensure that it will happen,” Mr. Aquino told reporters when asked about the need for compensating victims of the martial law regime.

Mr. Aquino reiterated the need for a law that will amend the CARP law and provide part of the proceeds of the Marcos ill-gotten wealth to the victims.

In an interview with journalist and claimant Ninotchka Rosca, Swift said that the President’s mother was interested in the compensation of rights victims because her driver was among those harmed.

Not much interest was drawn from former Presidents Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada, Swift said. He indicated that his cause for compensation was met with hostility under the administration of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The compensation bill was almost passed during the Arroyo administration but eventually fell short of getting enacted.

“I think when both (then Akbayan Rep.) Etta Rosales and I were Congress people, we were in support of their advocacies to have their compensation up to and including amending the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law that states basically that all the proceeds go to them,” President Aquino said.

“I will be supporting that,” he added.

President Aquino also sought to defend her mother’s position on the compensation issue saying that Ms Aquino took over after the EDSA Revolution ousted Marcos in 1986, the priority was identifying the ill-gotten wealth and its recovery.

Mr. Aquino said the process of compensation would have to start at identifying who the victims are.


(2010-11-18/newsinfo.inquirer.net)