Martial law victims seek CA relief on $1.9-B award

MANILA, Philippines - The Court of Appeals (CA) was asked yesterday to enforce a 1995 US court  decision awarding $1,964,005,859.90 in damages to human rights victims of martial law.

Petitioners led by former Human Rights Commission chairman Loretta Ann Rosales asked the CA’s 13th Division to reverse a ruling of the Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) dismissing their plea.

However, the CA  did not immediately resolve the petition.

It ordered lawyers of the heirs of former President Ferdinand Marcos to clarify who will be their lead counsel.

Lawyer Robert Sison and the Marcos Ochoa Serapio Tan law offices are to submit written manifestation from their

clients clarifying the representation on the case.

“The defendant-appellee (Marcos estate) must choose which of the two law firms is its lead counsel, and who is the collaborating counsel, if any,” read the CA decision.

Non-monetary benefits

Non-monetary benefits for human-rights (HR) victims of martial law will be made possible through a partnership between the Human Rights Victims’ Claims Board (HRVCB) and four other government agencies.

Signatories to the memorandum of agreement are the HRVCB, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR).

Under the agreement, the DSWD will develop a comprehensive psychosocial services and rehabilitation program for victims or survivors of human-rights abuses, which will include ensuring access to relevant education and training. – Edu Punay, Rhodina Villanueva