Group lauds efforts to simplify freezing of former dictators’ assets

MANILA, Philippines - The Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (SELDA) has welcomed the effort of the Swiss government to have a new law to simplify the process of freezing and unblocking assets of former autocratic governments.

In September 2012, SELDA chair Marie Enriquez brought to the attention of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council and the Human Rights Committee in Geneva, the status of the then pending bill to indemnify the martial law human rights victims and urged the bodies to remind the Philippine government of its obligation to compensate the victims. 

Enriquez, in her oral intervention at the September 2012 Human Rights Council session during the adoption of the Philippine Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report, “particularly took note of Switzerland’s UPR recommendation to compensate the victims of martial law,” especially during that time in 1997 when the Swiss government had not yet transferred the $680-million Marcos Swiss deposits in favor of the Philippine government.

Roneo Clamor, SELDA national coordinator, said: “While a new initiative to swiftly send back to originating countries the ill-gotten wealth of dictators is being done by the Swiss government, the Aquino government is not moving on the implementation of the Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act or Republic Act 10368.

“Two and a half months have passed since the President has boastfully signed the measure, but the formation of the Human Rights Victims Claims Board has not been acted upon by the Aquino administration that many of the victims are awaiting as the formation signals the implementation of the law.              

“We have already waited long enough. We can’t afford this part of justice to be delayed and denied again. We hope that this administration will stop using the law as a means to bloat his popularity, and instead immediately implement RA 10368.”