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Tag Archives: Ferdinand Marcos

[Petition] NO to Burying Marcos in Heroes’ Cemetery -Change.org

Posted on May 26, 2016 by Human Rights Online Philippines Leave a comment

NO to Burying Marcos in Heroes’ Cemetery

Burying Ferdinand E. Marcos alongside our nation’s heroes who fought for our freedom is an affront to the thousands of lives tortured and murdered during his reign. A hero does not take away freedom, he campaigns for it and fights for its survival for the sake of others. Laying him to rest at the Heroes’ Cemetery is a disdainful act that will send a message to the future of our nation – our children – that the world we live in rewards forceful and violent hands. Several other reasons why Ferdinand E. Marcos should not be buried in the Philippine’s Heroes’ Cemetery: 1. According to you, Presumptive President Duterte: “The issue on the burial of President Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani has long created divisions among our people,” – This is not what’s causing the division. It will in fact further sever the opportunity for unity since this is an injustice to the victims of Martial Law and the families they left behind. It is a known historical fact that Ferdinand E. Marcos proclaimed Martial Law in 1972 which stayed in effect until 1981. Under Martial Law 70,000 people were imprisoned, 34,000 were tortured, and 3,240 were killed.

Read full article and sign petition @www.change.org

Petition

[Blog] Five Reasons why Marcos should not be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani By Darwin Mendiola

Posted on September 24, 2014 by Human Rights Online Philippines Leave a comment

Five Reasons why Marcos should be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani
By Darwin Mendiola

The commemoration of the 42nd anniversary of the Martial Law Declaration has once again revived the debate over whether former president Ferdinand Marcos should be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (Heroes’ Cemetery).

Although, President Benigno Aquino III has made it clear that the late president would not be laid to rest at the national pantheon under his watch, Sen. Bongbong Marcos, the late president’s son still expressed optimism that PNoy would soon have a change of heart and would finally give his father a state burial.

For those who were lucky not to be born yet during the dictatorial regime of the late president might be puzzled on what this fuss is all about that is seemingly dividing the country once again.

Some who are fortunate to have lived to tell their stories of sufferings during Martial Law are firm in their stand to deny Marcos of a hero’s burial. Others who have had enough of political bickering are now calling for forgiveness and reconciliation in order for the country to move forward.

However, the controversy here lies not on the very act of burying the remains of the late president at the Libingan ng mga Bayani but to be or not to be considered a hero in the context of a possible state burial.
Let me just give you some logical thoughts on this issue. Here are the five reasons why Marcos should not be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani:

#1 Republic Act No. 289 provides the main reason for the national pantheon as provided in its Section 1 which states that, “to perpetuate the memory of all the Presidents of the Philippines, national heroes and patriots for the inspiration and emulation of this generation and of generation still unborn.”

In short, it is reserved for those whom the nation honors for their service to the country. Marcos as a former President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces is not automatically qualified for there is also a disqualification clause that says that any personnel who dishonorably separated/reverted/discharged from the service or who were convicted by final judgment of the offense involving moral turpitude will be unentitled to be interred in the national pantheon.

Considering this very intent of the law and given the historical facts of what had transpired during Martial Law and the way the late president and his first family were chased out of Malacanang and out of the country through People Power Revolution, Marcos would hardly consider a hero worth emulating and an inspiration to the Filipinos and to the next generation.

A hero’s burial for the former dictator is desecrating the memories of our Filipino Heroes.
Reference:
http://asianjournalusa.com/marcos-to-be-or-not-to-be-lnmb-p10455-168.htm

If this reason is not enough, we can go to the next one.

#2 Martial Law remains one of the darkest episodes in Philippine history. There were 3,257 victims of extra-judicial killings, 35,000 tortured, and 70,000 incarcerated under Marcos’ dictatorship.

In fact, Republic Act No. 10368 was recently passed by Philippine Congress as recognition for the heroism and sacrifices of all Filipinos who were victims of human rights violations under the Marcos regime.

Even long before that, 9,500 human rights victims who filed class suit against the Marcos already won $2 billion in damages in a Honolulu court which were affirmed by 2011 ruling by a United States Circuit Court in Hawaii.

A hero’s burial for the former dictator is an insult to the thousands of martial law victims.
Reference: http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/54a/062.html

If you are still unconvinced, let us now talk about the economy under the Marcos regime.

#3 The prosperity and progress under the Marcos regime is an illusion. In 1974, the poverty rate was 24%. By 1980 it was 40%. When Marcos assumed the presidency, the country’s foreign debt was US$1 billion. When Marcos fled to Hawaii, the country was heavily in debt with US$25 Billion. The bulk of these borrowed funds, according to sources had been stashed abroad.

Not only that the Marcoses and its associates were accused of plundering an estimated $10 billion from the Philippines, “Imeldific” is now synonymous to extravagant displays of wealth, sometimes to the point of vulgarity because of her lavish shopping trips to New York City with a huge entourage, spending millions on jewelry, clothes, and shoes.

It in noted that as of now, the Presidential Commission on Good Government had recovered 164 billion pesos (about $4 billion) since its creation, including a 150-carat ruby and a diamond tiara, hundreds of millions of dollars hidden in Swiss bank accounts and prime real estate in New York City.

A hero’s burial for the former dictator is a slap in the face of the millions of Filipinos who have suffered in grinding poverty while still paying for the debts of the Marcoses.
Reference:

If that is still not sufficient enough, let’s see if you really know our history.
# 4 Having Marcos buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani would mean rewriting our history. This will require revision of all history textbooks to glorify Marcos and depict the Martial Law as a peaceful and prosperous period in Philippine history.
It is not only a waste of public money but it will make our historians look like a bunch of fools. Filipinos are known to have short memories and are the most forgiving of people – a character that will always allow thieves, liars, scalawags and rascals to take advantage, but it does not mean we should stay ignorant and be naïve in allowing our history to be rewritten for some personal vested interests.
A hero’s burial for the former dictator is a shameless attempt to rewrite history.

Reference:
Rewriting History?

People, it would appear have very short memories and it is this which prompts me to write my blog this morning. It was Edmund Burke, a renowned Irish philosopher …
View on grantleishman.weebl…Preview by Yahoo

If you are still not convinced yet, you are either too slow to get it or you are just simply stupid to understand that this issue is merely a desperate attempt of the Marcoses to reclaim their political power.

#5 Declaring Marcos as a hero, would serve well not only the personal but also the political interest of his family. It will definitely exonerate them from their past crimes.

Senator Bongbong Marcos was quite open with his intention to run for President in 2016. He could very well project himself as THE SON OF A HERO as veteran journalist Ms. Raissa Robles put it in her blog.
That will also lift the burden to Mrs. Marcos for hiding her extravagance – of our money and will be entitled even with a pension as an elected government official as if she direly needed it. Noting that she is the second richest congressperson behind, of course, Manny Pacquiao.

A hero’s burial for the former dictator is a mockery to the intelligence of the Filipino electorate.
Reference:
http://raissarobles.com/2011/04/13/why-the-marcoses-want-ferdinand-buried-a-hero/

I can still give more reasons why Marcos should not be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. But it will be a waste of my time if the one reading this post is not smart enough to understand it. Just remember what Edmund Burke once said,

“Those who ignore history are bound to repeat it.”

Blog

[Featured Site] Virtual Museum of Courage and Resistance – TFDP

Posted on July 13, 2014 by Human Rights Online Philippines Leave a comment

Virtual Museum of Courage and Resistance

There is a current aggressive social media campaign to rewrite the history of the Filipino people. Using graphics and great musical score, it retells the story of the Martial Law period in a favorable light, giving credence to the action of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos. It also tried to trivialize the martyrdom and sacrifice of those who have struggled to regain our democracy.

On the previous projects of the Museum of Courage and Resistance, we tried to fill this void by having the Museum come to the students. We tried to educate by taking our museum on a tour around different universities and colleges all over the Philippines to share the story of the Martial law era, not only the atrocities of human rights violations during the period but also the strength of character shown by the Filipino people in fighting against the dictatorship. We organized forum to discuss the importance of these stories to our present condition and that we, as people should continue in striving for real democracy and the absence of human rights violations.

Unfortunately, we can only reach so much audience. Because of limited resources, we could only organize this event in a number of schools in the country, we could also bring only limited number of material per leg of the tour. To reach a bigger number of audience, specially the younger generation, we have created this virtual version of the Museum of Courage and Resistance to make it accessible from all parts of the world. It will also be beneficial to older demographic, who may not be physically available to tour the museum will have an access through the online site.

http://tfdpmuseum.blogspot.com/

Featured Sites

[Statement] AFAD remembers and honors the men, women and children victims of enforced disappearance in Asia and the world

Posted on May 30, 2013 by Human Rights Online Philippines Leave a comment

AFAD REMEMBERS AND HONORS THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN VICTIMS OF ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCE IN ASIA AND THE WORLD

On the 32nd year of the commemoration of the International Week of the Disappeared, the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) joins the families and friends of victims of enforced disappearance in remembering, paying tribute and restoring the dignity of the men, women and children who were made to disappear in Asia and the rest of the world.

Who were these victims and why do we honor them?

In the Asian region, most of these men and women victims of enforced disappearance fought for political freedom and democracy in countries under repressive governments. They were then called enemies of the State who defied the dictatorships of then President Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines, Gen. Suharto in Indonesia, Gen. Chon Doo Hwan in South Korea, and Gen.Suchinda Kraprayoon in Thailand in Southeast Asia during the ‘70s to ‘80s. They were hunted by agents of these dictatorial governments.

Some of them were men and women who fought for independence against the occupation or annexation of their independent States – as in the case of Timor Leste (the former Portuguese Timor which was invaded and occupied by Indonesia in 1975-1999) and the independent State of Jammu and Kashmir which is being administered by India. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, majority of the victims in countries embroiled in internal armed conflicts such as in Sri Lanka and Nepal were combatants, supporters or plain community members in armed conflict areas.

In Bangladesh, majority of victims of enforced disappearance were freedom fighters during the Liberation War in 1971 when the former East Pakistan seceded from West Pakistan and declared the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. In recent years, victims of enforced disappearance are said to be opposition activists, local traders, workers and some who were abducted because of criminal feuds or business rivalries[1].

In Asian countries under democratic transition or in fledgling democratic states, victims of enforced disappearances are those who continue to fight for political reforms as well as those who demanded for their basic rights. They were farmers, workers, informal settlers, and non-teaching personnel who simply asserted and demanded their rights to land, work and decent wages, to unionize, to have decent housing and education. A significant number of them were students, teachers and journalists who fought for academic and press freedom; lawyers and medical professionals who practiced their profession and assisted people who sought their services; or religious leaders who spoke on behalf of the marginalized peoples against repression. They helped empower people to speak for themselves and assert their rights.

They were innocent men, women and children relatives and friends of the disappeared who were “at the wrong place at the wrong time.” Since their relatives were considered enemies of the State, government security forces, in the course of hunting their “enemies,” victimized their innocent children, relatives, and even friends. They were harassed, arrested, imprisoned, some summarily killed, while others were also disappeared. During the Indonesian invasion of East Timor for example, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) documented 4,200 missing children[2]. Until now, many of their whereabouts are uncertain.

Thus, on the occasion of the International Week of the Disappeared, AFAD salutes the men and women victims of enforced disappearance. They are human rights advocates and defenders, not enemies of the State. AFAD recognizes their valiant contribution towards social transformation where principles of human rights, freedom, justice and peace serve as its foundation.

AFAD calls on the children of the disappeared to stand up and be acknowledged. Be proud of the noble deeds of your parents. They are heroes.

AFAD also calls on each and every one of us to take a few minutes of silence and offer our heartfelt thanks and prayers to these courageous men and women who selfishly dedicated their lives to the betterment of society so others can live better lives.

Let their deeds inspire us further. Let us impart to the younger generation the ideals of a just, free and peace-loving society these victims aspired for. The tasks they have started are not yet finished. The road to genuine freedom and democracy is filled with roadblocks and detours. The culture of impunity is still very much ingrained in the minds of key institutions that are threatened with the culture of human rights.

AFAD calls on States to STOP the Culture of Impunity by enacting laws criminalizing enforced disappearance and to accede to the International Convention Against Enforced Disappearance.

Further, AFAD calls on the States and their agencies to come up with policies and programs to support the families of disappeared victims who are facing psycho-emotional and socio-economic difficulties. Majority of the disappeared are men who are the breadwinners. Women are often left to bear the social and economic impact of the disappearance. Consequently, the children can no longer continue going to school. In many cases, the eldest child has to find work to support the -family.

Moreover, the women relatives of the disappeared also face procedural problems in their claims to inheritance of their disappeared loved ones because of the uncertainty of their status – they cannot be declared as widows. In the course of their search for justice for their loved ones, women also face the risk of sexual and other violence and could be subjected to disappearance, too.

Enforced disappearance is a multi-faceted issue that requires multi-faceted interventions. Let this International Week of the Disappeared, initiated by the Latin American Federation of Associations of Relatives of Disappeared-Detainees (FEDEFAM) be an opportunity for government agencies concerned, civil society organizations, and the general public to reflect and plan strategies to curb this problem.

Signed by:

Mugiyanto Mary Aileen Diez-Bacalso
Chairperson Secretary-General

Statement

[Announcement] Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP), is now hiring!

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Human Rights Online Philippines Leave a comment

ANNOUNCEMENT!

Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP), is now hiring:

2 staff to be assigned in Visayas island
1 staff for Research, Documentation & Information Program (RDIP)
1 staff for Direct Service Program (DSP)

Qualifications:
At least college graduate or college level
Must have writing & interviewing skills and a good listener as well
Physically able and highly mobile
Must be willing to undergo trainings to enhance his/her capability

Any interested applicant kindly email to:

Mr. Emmanuel Amistad
Executive Director
Task Force Detainees of the Philippines
Email: tfdp.1974@gmail.com

Announcement

[Statement] New Compensation Law (RA10368) for victims of human rights violations: right step but not enough to end Marcos impunity -PAHRA

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Human Rights Online Philippines Leave a comment

PAHRA STATEMENT:

NEW COMPENSATION LAW, (Republic Act 10368)
FOR VICTIMS OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS:
RIGHT STEP BUT NOT ENOUGH TO END
MARCOS IMPUNITY

On January 23, 1977, the newspaper Bulletin Today bannered this headline: “One-sided press reports scored. No violations of human rights – FM”.

Ferdinand Marcos was then vehemently denying the reports of massive and grave human rights violations perpetrated since his seizing a second term presidency by imposing martial law on September 21, 1972. Mainly documented by the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP), established by the Association of Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP) in 1974, these violations reached the international community and the then U.N. Commission on Human Rights. Marcos used the State machinery to produce a coercive environment and to engender a culture of impunity that persist till the present.

After seven and twenty years since the downfall of the Marcos dictatorship, there is finally a law which acknowledges the long-known truth held by people that there were human rights violations, such as arbitrary and illegal arrests, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and torture, committed by the martial law regime. It is only correct and just to recognize and memorialize all the heroes and martyrs who fought against repression and who courageously struggled for human and people’s rights.

Signing into law the Bill which compensates the victims of human rights violations during the martial law period is the right step towards ending the Marcos impunity and obtaining both justice and healing.
PAHRA commends both Congress and the Administration of President Benigno S. Aquino III for this legislative act that shatters a Marcosian myth and propaganda that there were no human rights

PAHRA, nonetheless, believes and stands that while the law gives recognition and compensation to the victims of human rights violations, it is not enough to break through and to end the impunity unleashed by Marcos. The U.N. Updated Principles in Combating Impunity enumerate some State obligations still need to be complied with:

The Right to Truth – wherein it ensures the individual’s, as well as, the victim’s families and relatives right to know the circumstances and reasons for the victim’s torture, enforced disappearance or extrajudicial killing. For this end, Benigno S. Aquino III, as Chief Executive and Commander-in-Chief, should order all services of the security forces to de-classify all reports and data related to the martial law period. We recommend strongly here the passage into law of the right to information. The Office of the President should also institutionalize or calendar the President’s public paying of respects to the heroes and martyrs who fought the imposition of martial law and its adverse effects on human rights.

The Right to Justice –means bringing the perpetrators of violations to account – whether in criminal, civil, administrative or disciplinary proceedings – since they are not subject to any inquiry that might lead to their being accused, arrested, tried and, if found guilty, sentenced to appropriate penalties, and to making reparations to their victims.

There will be no closure to the wounds caused by the martial law period if there is no justice.

The State obligations to institute reforms to ensure the non-recurrence of these violations include the passage of legislation criminalizing extra-judicial killings and responding to the plight of internally displaced persons (IDPs). This also means the establishment and operationalization of national monitoring mechanisms.

EDSA people power ended Ferdinand E. Marcos’ one-man, martial law rule but has not completely dealt with and eliminated impunity.

PAHRA calls on and will join all people of good-will to determinedly combat impunity.

[Statement] Reclaim EDSA from the Elite -SANLAKAS

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Human Rights Online Philippines Leave a comment

Reclaim EDSA from the Elite
Sanlakas Statement on the 27th Anniversay Celebration of EDSA I People Power Revolution

Sanlakas, together with the Filipino people, celebrates today the EDSA People Power I anniversary. But while it is an important milestone in the democratic struggle to end the tyrannical regime of former President Ferdinand Marcos, it is but a culmination of decades of sacrifice – in sweat, tears, and blood – of the Filipino working class.

Years before the fateful day of February 25, 1986, the working class has long been openly challenging Marcos through daring and innovative mass actions, the most famous of which is the daring La Tondeña strikes in October 1975. From this we learn an important lesson – victories are not won overnight, and it is through smaller collective actions that we build political revolutions. It is through smaller struggles that we set the conditions for quantum leaps in the movement for the advancement of our democratic rights.

Unfortunately, a section of the traditional political elite has successfully manoeuvred to claim the anti-Marcos struggle as their own, relegating in history books the role of unionists, indigenous peoples, and peasants to mere footnotes. The grand effort towards historical revisionism is so great that while anti-Marcos politicians from the Liberal Party bask in public glory and help themselves in partaking state power, scores of Martial Law-era political detainees continue to rot in jail without hope of release. The activists who fought for our democratic rights continue to be pursued, tortured, and incarcerated by the very government which existence had only been possible because of their sacrifice. Until now, the deaths of labour and student leaders like Ka Lando Olalia and Lean Alejandro, perpetrated by the military backers of post-EDSA regimes, remain to be without justice.

But it is not just the history of the struggle which the elite stole from the working class, it is also the outcome. The post-EDSA administrations have seen the return of traditional politicians which basically continued a foreign policy subservient to the imperial power of the United States. Land reform has been derailed by a landlord-dominated Congress, purchasing power of the working class consumers continue to decay even as inflation remains low, and every Filipino still owe P59,000 in debt. Meanwhile, the oligarchy which has been the target of Marcos’ “democratic revolution from the center”, and which Marcos himself perpetrated by creating new plutocrats from his pool of cronies, has further entrenched themselves through the purchase of privatized public utilities sold at the height of Ramos’ neoliberal frenzy. Nothing has changed in this respect.

This, while the section of the elite which took over has largely bungled in their mandate to make the Marcoses pay for their crimes. The Presidential Commission on Good Governance (PCGG) recently announced that they are waving the white flag, even as they are yet to reclaim more than half of Marcos’ loot. The Marcoses themselves are back into power, with a Senator, Governor, and Congressman. The annual platitudes and self-congratulatory remarks of this elite must be put side-by-side with its two-decade long story of incompetence and impotence. But we suspect that goes beyond incompetence, and it just shows their insincerity and hypocrisy when they fought with the working class to put Marcos and his cohorts to justice.

Clearly, it is time that we reclaim EDSA from the elite. Sanlakas calls on the Filipino working class to remember its historical role in EDSA, and repudiate the elite which has stolen the victory from us.

February 25, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS STATEMENT
Contact Person:
Manjette Lopez, Sanlakas Secretary-General @ 0922-860-8863
Val De Guzman, Media Liaison @ 0919-965-7509

Statement

[In the news] Long wait ends for HR victims -PhilStar.com

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Human Rights Online Philippines Leave a comment

Long wait ends for HR victims
By Mike Frialde, The Philippine Star
February 25, 2013

MANILA, Philippines – Labor leader Romy Castillo will never forget the events of July 23, 1984, the day he was introduced to wet submarine, dry submarine and electrocution.

Following his arrest by agents of the Marcos regime, Castillo was subjected to nine days of torture and abuse meant to break his will and make him admit his affiliation with the communists.

His ordeal finally ended on Feb. 26, 1986, the day after the people power revolt booted Marcos out of Malacañang.

President Aquino is set to sign into law today an act recognizing the atrocities of the Marcos government and granting reparation to human rights victims like Castillo.

Castillo, now 61, recalled that around 2 a.m. of July 23, 1984, agents of the Metrocom Intelligence and Security Group (MISG) raided the staff house of the labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) in Barrio Tubigan, Antipolo, and arrested him and four of his fellow labor leaders. He was beaten until he lost consciousness.

Castillo, also known as Ka Romy, said they were planning to stage a big rally of workers against Marcos.

Read full article @www.philstar.com

In the News

[In the news] Edsa 27 -INQUIRER.net

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Human Rights Online Philippines Leave a comment

Edsa 27

Philippine Daily Inquirer
February 24, 2013

It cannot be denied that the second Aquino administration has done much in a concerted effort to revitalize the spirit of Edsa. But we must not conflate the legacy of the People Power Revolution with any administration, not even this one.

This is precisely the mistake the Edsa People Power Commission makes, when it blithely assumes that today’s 27th anniversary celebration is an occasion to spotlight President Aquino’s brand of “kayo-ang-boss-ko” governance. A key passage from the commission’s press release reads: “Approaching the midpoint of the Aquino administration, Edsa 27 will be an opportune time for all Filipinos to gather together as an expression of unity and support behind the unprecedented political, legislative and economic gains of President Benigno S. Aquino III.”

Actually, no. The Edsa anniversary, like the yearly rites we observe for Independence Day, the birth of Andres Bonifacio and the martyrdom of Jose Rizal, is not only resolutely nonpartisan; it is part of the necessary myth-making process that lies at the heart of our nation-building project. The myths that we need are not fabrications or noble fictions, but the larger truths of history: that we have the power of self-definition; that the freedom we are entitled to must be earned again and again, that it cannot be won without a struggle; that the face of the oppressor, the “manlulupig” and “mang-aapi” we describe in our national anthem, can assume the countenance of a fellow Filipino; that we have it in us to liberate ourselves, according to our fundamental dignity. The last line of “Bayan Ko,” the unofficial anthem of the anti-Marcos freedom struggle, phrases it well: “makita kang sakdal laya”—We long to see a nation that is truly free.

Read full article @opinion.inquirer.net

In the News

[In the news] Remembering 1986 EDSA and People Power -The Freeman

Posted on February 24, 2013 by Human Rights Online Philippines Leave a comment

Remembering 1986 EDSA and People Power
By Cherry Piquero-Ballescas, The Freeman
February 23, 2013

How many of our people remember the historic events of February 1986? Then, the Filipinos showed the world how faith, unity, and courage broke the chains of dictatorship and martial law, without bloodshed. People’s power, Filipino style, became a model others would emulate later in various parts of the world.

The price of freedom did not come without costs, without sacrifices. Martyrs gave up their lives to expose, to fight Marcos and his authoritarianism. Ninoy Aquino believed in the goodness of people. Dictators and dictators’ supporters followed different values.

Ninoy’s death triggered anger, courage among millions of Filipinos. His grieving wife, Cory, reluctantly was pushed into the political arena and emerged President after Filipinos, willing to give up their precious lives marched through EDSA and various parts of the Philippines to declare “tama na, sobra na, palitan na!”

Read full article @www.philstar.com

In the News

[Announcement] Notice to victims of human rights violations under the Marcos regime -PAHRA

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Human Rights Online Philippines One comment

Notice to victims of human rights violations under the Marcos regime

“AN ACT PROVIDING FOR REPARATION AND RECOGNITION OF VICTIMS OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS DURING THE MARCOS REGIME, DOCUMENTATION OF SAID VIOLATIONS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES” was already ratified by both houses of Congress and is set to be enacted into law upon signing of President Aquino expected on Feb. 25, 2013 during the EDSA People Power Commemoration

The Act will provide for :

Monetary reparation by point system based on gravity of HRV suffered
Non-monetary reparation in terms of services/programs by appropriate government agencies
Recognition in Roll of HRV Victims to be memorialized through the establishment of a Memorial/Museum/Library

The law will only be implemented within 2 years after its signing. Filing of claims/waiver is only within 6 months upon completion of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) which should be completed 15 days after the appointment of the Human Rights Victims’ Claims Board by the President.

Who can claim?
Sec. 3 (b) Those who have experience Human Rights Violation refers to any act or omission committed during the period from September 21, 1972 to February 25, 1986 by persons acting in an official capacity and/or agents of the State, but shall not be limited to the following:
NOTE: Sec 3 (c) Provided also that human rights violations experienced one (1) month before September 21, 1972 and one (1) month after February 25, 1986 shall be entitled to reparation under this Act if the victims can establish that the violation was committed:

(1) Any search, arrest and/or detention without a valid search warrant or warrant of arrest issued by a civilian court of law, including any warrantless arrest or detention carried out pursuant to the declaration of Martial Law by former President Ferdinand E. Marcos as well as any arrest, detention or deprivation of liberty carried out during the covered period on the basis of an “Arrest, Search and Seizure Order (ASSO)”, a “Presidential Commitment Order (PCO)” or a “Preventive Detention Action (PDA)” and such other similar executive issuances as defined by decrees of former President Ferdinand E. Marcos, or in any manner that the arrest, detention or deprivation of liberty was effected;

(2) The infliction by a person acting in an official capacity and/or an agent of the State of physical injury, torture, killing, or violation of other human rights, of any person exercising civil or political rights, including but not limited to the freedom of speech, assembly or organization; and/or the right to petition the government for redress of grievances, even if such violation took place during or in the course of what the authorities at the time deemed an illegal assembly or demonstration: Provided, That torture in any form or under any circumstance shall be considered a human rights violation;

(3) Any enforced or involuntary disappearance caused upon a person who was arrested, detained or abducted against one’s will or otherwise deprived of one’s liberty, as defined in Republic Act No. 10350, otherwise known as the “Anti-Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance Act of 2012”;

(4) Any force or intimidation causing the involuntary exile of a person from the Philippines;

(5) Any act of force, intimidation or deceit causing unjust or illegal takeover of a business, confiscation of property, detention of owner/s and or their families, deprivation of livelihood of a person by agents of the State, including those caused by Ferdinand Marcos, his spouse Imelda Marcos, their immediate relatives by consanguinity or affinity, as well as those persons considered as among their close relatives, associates, cronies and subordinates under Executive Order No. 1, issued on February 28, 1986 by President Corazon Aquino in the exercise of her legislative powers under the Freedom Constitution;

(6)   Any act or series of acts causing, committing and/or conducting the following:
(i)     Kidnapping or otherwise exploiting children of persons suspected of committing acts against the Marcos regime;
(ii)   Committing sexual offenses against human rights victims who are detained and/or in the course of conducting military and/or police operations; and
(iii)   Other violations and/or abuses similar or analogous to the above, including those recognized by international law.

CALL:

In line with this … we are urging all our networks, friends to disseminate the information to victims of human rights violations in preparation for the recognition, compensation and reparation that they can receive by virtue of the law. Please note that those who are already included in the class suit (Hawaii case against Marcos Estate) are already be recognized under this Act (Sec. 17 Conclusive Presumption) thus, we would like to reach those victims who were not included in the class suit which are actually more numerous.

We are also requesting NGOs to assist the victims in preparing their documents such as detailed sworn statement on the incident or violation/s suffered and other relevant documents that will support their claim.

INITIAL ACTIONS:

The Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP), Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearances (FIND) and Claimants 1081 will be consolidating all the list of victims which they already have and will add those who will be submitted later. PAHRA will coordinate our actions on this.

We will keep you posted on developments on the Act especially in the formulation of the IRR and the steps /processes/requirements for the beneficiaries.

Please refer to attached document for your reference , this is not yet the signed law but the output document of the final deliberation of the Bi-Cameral Conference Committee.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH and hoping for your cooperation .

ML@40 ….. FINALLY … 26 years after the Marcos Regime !

NEVER AGAIN TO MARTIAL LAW !!!

Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA)
53-B Maliksi St. Bgy. Pinyahan
Quezon City, Philippines (1100)
Tel/fax (632) 436-26-33
Mobile : 0906-553-1792
E-mail:        pahra@philippinehumanrights.org
pahracampaigns@gmail.com
Fb account:   philippinehumanrights
Website:         http://www.philippinehumanrights.org
Twitter :         @PAHRAhr

Announcement

[In the news] Marcos sins, victims’ woes to be taught in schools -INQUIRER.net

Posted on February 1, 2013 by Human Rights Online Philippines Leave a comment

Marcos sins, victims’ woes to be taught in schools
By Leila B. Salaverria
January 30, 2013

Never again.

So the nation will remember not to forget, a bill that recognizes for the first time that the Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship committed atrocities against Filipinos also mandates the teaching in schools of the abuses inflicted on its opponents and the heroism of those who fought the regime.

The bill, ratified by the two chambers of Congress on Monday and awaits the signing into law by President Aquino, creates the Human Rights Violations Victims’ Memorial Commission and lays down guidelines for monetary reparations to the victims from a P10-billion fund out of the ill-gotten wealth recovered from Marcos.

The memorial commission is tasked with collaborating with the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) “to ensure that the teaching of martial law atrocities, the lives and sacrifices of [victims of human rights violations] in our history are included in the basic, secondary, and tertiary education curricula.”

Read full article @newsinfo.inquirer.net

In the News

[In the news] Congress ratifies ‘Marcos compensation bill’ -RAPPLER.com

Posted on January 29, 2013 by Human Rights Online Philippines Leave a comment

Congress ratifies ‘Marcos compensation bill’
By RAPPLER.COM
January 28, 2013

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED)- The Senate and the House of Representatives on Monday, January 28, ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the ‘Marcos compensation bill,’ a measure seeking to provide compensation to human rights victims during the Martial Law era.

Its formal title is “Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013.”

The bill is ready for President Aquino III’s signature.

Sen Francis “Chiz” Escudero is the sponsor of the measure in the Senate. He is chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights.

“This is a first of such human rights legislation in the world where a state recognizes a previous administration’s fault against its own people and not only provides for, but also actually appropriates for reparation,” the senator said.

Read full article @www.rappler.com

In the News

[In the news] Bicam OKs Martial Law victims compensation bill -RAPPLER.com

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Human Rights Online Philippines Leave a comment

Bicam OKs Martial Law victims compensation bill
B Angela Casauay, RAPPLER.com
January 23, 2013

MANILA, Philippines – Another historic bill is one step closer to becoming a law.

The bicameral conference committee on Wednesday, January 23, approved “in principle” the bill that will provide compensation for activists who were imprisoned, tortured, or whose relatives disappeared during the Marcos regime.

The bill seeks to provide reparation for victims of human rights violations during the regime of the late President Ferdinand Marcos covering the period from Sept 21, 1972 to Feb 25, 1986, when he was ousted.

It has a total budget of P10-B that will be sourced from Marcos’ ill-gotten wealth recovered from Swiss banks.

Bicam members have yet to sign the final version of the bill as it will still be printed, according to Deputy Speaker Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada, principal author of the bill. But they have agreed to approve the measure.

Read full article @www.rappler.com

In the News

[In the news] Ed Araullo, human-rights lawyer and anti-dictatorship pillar, dies of a heart attack -InterAksyon.com

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Human Rights Online Philippines Leave a comment

Ed Araullo, human-rights lawyer and anti-dictatorship pillar, dies of a heart attack
By InterAksyon.com
January 19, 2013

MANILA, Philippines – Former Marcos detainee and human-rights lawyer Atty. Eduardo “Ed” G. Araullo, whose last stint was as corporate secretary of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), died of a heart attack Saturday morning, his family said.

Araullo, who would have been 67 next month, was rushed to the Asian Hospital in Muntinlupa after he suffered a massive heart attack at about 8:30 am, but was dead on arrival, according to his brother Jose Araullo, accountant and banker.

Araullo became chairman of the Movement of Attorneys for Brotherhood, Integrity, Nationalism and Independence (MABINI) for nearly two years—from 1984 when then-chairman Augusto “Bobbit” Sanchez ran for the Batasan elections, until just before EDSA, when Araullo was succeeded by Fulgencio “Jun” Factoran.

Read full article @interaksyon.com

In the News

[In the news] Don’t abolish PCGG, hire ‘better people’ to go after Marcos wealth – Saguisag -InterAksyon.com

Posted on January 6, 2013 by Human Rights Online Philippines Leave a comment

Don’t abolish PCGG, hire ‘better people’ to go after Marcos wealth – Saguisag
By Stella Tomeldan, InterAksyon.com
January 6, 2013

MANILA, Philippines – The Aquino administration should not abolish the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) but instead allocate more funds so that “better people” may be hired to recover the people’s wealth from the family of late strongman Ferdinand Marcos, former senator and human rights lawyer Rene Saguisag said.

He said the specialized body created during late president Corazon Aquino’s administration in 1986 is the only agency that could forfeit ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses and their cronies as well as represent the government in forfeiture cases of the Marcos assets abroad.

Saguisag, who served in President Corazon Aquino’s Cabinet, also recommended that the government adopt policy and administrative changes that would allow the 9,539 victims of martial law who won an indemnification suit in Honolulu in 1995 to recover Marcos assets without the PCGG blocking it.

“If the current PCGG is complaining about its budget, then the government should give them more funds to get better people,” said Saguisag in a television interview over the weekend. “The agency needs moral stamina (to continue the cases against the Marcoses and their associates).”

Read full article@www.interaksyon.com

In the News

[In the news] PNoy wants ‘further study’ on proposed PCGG abolition -InterAksyon.com

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Human Rights Online Philippines Leave a comment

PNoy wants ‘further study’ on proposed PCGG abolition
By Philippine News Agency
January 3, 2013

MANILA, Philippines — President Benigno Aquino III has tasked the Office of the President (OP) to study the proposed abolition of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG).

Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda, in a press briefing on Thursday, confirmed a meeting was conducted on the proposal, “but the President wanted further study.”

“The OP is still studying that particular recommendation. The President tasked OP to study that particular recommendation and so there are a number of details that need to be vetted,” he said.

Lacierda, however, stressed that the government is bent on pursuing the ill-gotten wealth cases of the Marcoses — assuming that Congress would abolish the PCGG.

“Just to make it clear, the pursuit of ill-gotten wealth will continue even if the recommendation will be acted upon by the President,” he said.

Read full article @interaksyon.com

In the News

[In the news] Abolishing PCGG sends wrong signal: Selda -ABS-CBNnews.com

Posted on January 3, 2013 by Human Rights Online Philippines Leave a comment

Abolishing PCGG sends wrong signal: Selda

ABS-CBNnews.com
January 3,2013

MANILA, Philippines – Human rights group Selda opposed Thursday the proposed abolition of the Presidential Commission on Good Government.

In an interview on ANC’s Headstart, Selda national coordinator Jigs Clamor said if the Aquino administration is bent on pursuing the ill-gotten wealth case against the Marcoses, now is not the time to give up.

“It sends a signal kasi when you recommend to wind down, it says ‘Tigilan na ang paghahabol sa Marcoses.’ It is very ironic to think that the Marcoses are now back in power especially in the second Aquino administration.”

He alleged the PCGG has not done its best since only 40% of the $10 billion ill-gotten wealth has been recovered.

PCGG Chairman Andres Bautista has confirmed that he had recommended to President Aquino that the agency’s work be transferred to the justice department.

Read full article @www.abs-cbnnews.com

In the News

[In the news] Hunt for Marcos loot goes on -INQUIRER.net

Posted on January 3, 2013 by Human Rights Online Philippines Leave a comment

Hunt for Marcos loot goes on
Lawmakers, human rights victims split on PCGG move

By Christine O. Avendaño, Dona Z. Pazzibugan, Norman Bordadora
Philippine Daily Inquirer
January 3, 2013

Sen. Joker Arroyo, the executive secretary when President Corazon Aquino issued her first executive order that created the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) in 1986 to recover the ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses, and other lawmakers are supporting the PCGG recommendation to wind down its work as it has outlived its usefulness.

Other lawmakers and a group of victims of human rights violation during the 20-year regime of Ferdinand Marcos object to the abolition of the PCGG. They said dissolving the commission would send the signal that those in power could commit crimes and get away with it.

Although Edwin Lacierda, spokesperson of Mr. Aquino, said that the President was still studying the recommendation to abolish the PCGG, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the “mindset” of the President was that the commission need not continue its work.

Read full article @newsinfo.inquirer.net

In the News

[Press Release] Milestone Law Criminalizes Forced Disappearances, Aquino Enacts First Law of its Kind in Asia -HRW

Posted on December 23, 2012 by Human Rights Online Philippines Leave a comment

Philippines: Milestone Law Criminalizes Forced Disappearances
Aquino Enacts First Law of its Kind in Asia

(Manila, December 21, 2012) – The new law that criminalizes enforced disappearances in the Philippines is the first of its kind in Asia and a major milestone in ending this horrific human rights violation, Human Rights Watch said today. President Benigno S. Acquino III signed the law today.

The Anti-Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance Act of 2012 closely reflects international legal standards on enforced disappearance. Although Congress passed the law in October, Aquino did not immediately sign it despite reports of new abductions of leftist activists. Enforced disappearances are defined as the detention of a person by state officials or their agents followed by a refusal to acknowledge the detention or to reveal the person’s fate or whereabouts. People held in secret are especially vulnerable to torture and other abuses, and their families suffer from lack of information.

“President Aquino and the Congress deserve credit for acting to end the scourge of enforced disappearances in the Philippines,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “This law is a testament to the thousands of ‘disappearance’ victims since the Marcos dictatorship, whose long-suffering families are still searching for justice. The challenge now is for the government to move quickly to enforce the new law.”

The new law reflects longtime recommendations by human rights organizations to the government to address unacknowledged detentions. Anyone convicted of committing an enforced disappearance faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and may not receive an amnesty. Superior officers who order or are otherwise implicated in a disappearance face the same penalty as those who directly carried out the crime. The government cannot suspend the law even in times of war or public emergency.

A crucial provision of the law says that those accused of forced disappearances may not invoke “orders of battle” – military documents that identify alleged enemies – as justification or an exempting circumstance. Many victims of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in the Philippines have been listed or said to have been listed in such “orders of battle.” The law specifically allows a person who receives an illegal order to commit a disappearance to disobey it.

The law defines an enforced or involuntary disappearance as “the arrest, detention, abduction or any other form of deprivation of liberty committed by agents of the State or by persons or groups of persons acting with the authorization, support or acquiescence of the State, followed by a refusal to acknowledge the deprivation of liberty or by concealment of the fate or whereabouts of the disappeared person, which places such person outside the protection of the law.” This definition is derived from international human rights standards.

The law also prohibits secret detention facilities. The government is to make a full inventory of all detention facilities in the Philippines and create a registry of every detainee, complete with all relevant details including who visited the detainee and how long the visit lasted. It also mandates and authorizes the governmental Commission on Human Rights “to conduct regular, independent, unannounced and unrestricted visits to or inspection of all places of detention and confinement.” Human rights organizations are encouraged to assist the Justice Department in proposing rules and regulations for enforcement.

“Effective enforcement of this new law by the Philippine government will deter enforced disappearances and address the deep-seated problem of impunity for human rights abusers,” Adams said.

Under President Ferdinand Marcos, enforced disappearances were rampant, as the military and police routinely rounded up activists and suspected communist rebels and supporters. The practice did not end with Marcos’s ouster in 1986. Many enforced disappearances occurred during the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Several activists have “disappeared” since Aquino took office in 2010, according to local rights groups, though there are no allegations that these were ordered by Aquino or other members of his government.

Human Rights Watch detailed some cases of disappearances in its 2010 report, “No Justice Just Adds to the Pain,” and in a video released earlier in 2012 in which family members of the disappeared call on President Aquino to live up to his promises of justice.

The Philippine government should also sign the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and transmit it to the Senate for prompt ratification, Human Rights Watch said. In Asia, only Japan has ratified the convention, although Laos, India, Indonesia, and Thailand have signed it.

In addition to signing the anti-disappearance law, Aquino is expected to soon sign the landmark reproductive-health bill recently passed by Congress. The bill aims to improve the lives of many Filipino women and to reduce the country’s high maternal mortality rate.

“President Aquino should be commended for these two important human rights laws, but too often new laws in the Philippines are followed by inaction,” Adams said. “Aquino now needs to demonstrate leadership to overcome the obstacles to these laws and ensure they are fully enforced.”

To read the report “No Justice Just Adds to the Pain,” please visit:
http://www.hrw.org/reports/2011/07/18/no-justice-just-adds-pain-0

To view the video “Philippines: Abuses Go Unpunished,” please visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNY8QovO7f0

For more Human Rights Watch reporting on the Philippines, please visit:
http://www.hrw.org/asia/-philippines