Binay urges human rights victims to claim compensation

MANILA, Philippines - Vice President Jejomar Binay urged yesterday human rights victims of martial law to file their applications for compensation.

“I call on my fellow detainees and human rights victims during martial law to file their claims,” he said.  “It’s not the money but the recognition of the justness of our fight against tyranny and oppression.” 

Quoting martial law detainee Abraham Sarmiento Jr., Binay said: “If not now, when?”   

Binay, a human rights lawyer during martial law, said he will file a claim and use whatever amount that he would be given to set up a fund to assist children of martial law victims.

“This is but a continuation of the assistance we provided to human rights victims four decades ago,” he said.

Binay provided free legal assistance to political detainees during martial law. He was arrested and detained at the Ipil Rehabilitation Center.

He helped found the Movement of Attorneys for Brotherhood, Integrity and Nationalism, Inc. (MABINI), a group of progressive lawyers that included former senators Lorenzo Tañada, Wigberto Tañada, Rene Saguisag and Joker Arroyo.

According to the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 10368, or the Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013, the Human Rights Victims’ Claims Board has set the period for the filing of applications from May 12 to Nov. 1, 2014.

Any victim who does not file a claim within this period will be deemed to have waived his or her right to be compensated. Under RA 10368, victims of human rights violations committed from Sept. 21, 1972 to Feb. 25, 1986 are eligible to file for compensation. 

Victims of human rights violations committed one month before or one month after the prescribed period are also eligible to file for claims, provided they can prove that the violation was committed.

No fee is required to file the claim, but applying in person is mandatory. 

Legal heirs or authorized representatives of those who were killed, incapacitated or disappeared during martial law may also file claims on their behalf.

The government has set aside some P10 billion for the compensation of human rights victims.

The signing into law of RA 10368 “is not only our way of recognizing their sacrifices, but of reminding ourselves of the tyranny that made their struggle justified, a tyranny that must not be repeated,” Binay said.