Activists welcome payout for martial law victims
Monday 28 January 2013
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EmailPhilippines activists hailed a pledge compensation for victims of the Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship today.
The ratification of a Bill awarding compensation and recognition to martial law victims will go before Congress tomorrow, said one of the Bill's authors Representative Neri Colmenares.
Nearly 27 years after a reign of terror including detentions, beatings and killings, the two chambers of Congress agreed the compensation Bill last week.
"The Bill represents the only formal, written document that martial law violated the human rights of Filipinos and that there were courageous people who fought the dictatorship," said former political prisoners' organisation Selda.
Under the Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act, the 9,539 victims will be compensated using £156 million the government recovered from Marcos's ill-gotten wealth.
Representative Walden Bello said: "Finally we will have a law that puts the responsibility of human rights abuses squarely on the shoulder of Marcos and provides justice for all."
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