Another group of former political prisoners during the martial law regime of President Ferdinand Marcos has questioned the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) for blocking what should have been the third payout of reparation claims granted human rights victims by a Hawaii District Court.
In a statement, Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (Selda) described as “questionable” the motives of the OSG in refusing the settlement deal that would have distributed $13.75 million among 6,500 registered claimants in the class suit.
On Wednesday, the OSG, the Department of Justice and the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) said they had agreed on March 11 that the government would no longer enter into the settlement deal “in the best interest of the republic.”
The OSG, headed by Jose Calida, said it found the terms of the deal “grossly disadvantageous to the government and not in accord with existing Philippine laws and jurisprudence.”
Under the settlement agreement, the martial law victims would receive $13.75 million from the sale of four paintings illegally acquired by former first lady Imelda Marcos, with the government getting $4 million.
The remainder would be split between Golden Buddha Corp. and the estate of Roger Roxas, who discovered the so-called Yamashita treasure.
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