Marcoses renege on word to pay HR victims $150M

The month of October passed with the almost 10,000 martial law victims still empty handed as the Marcos family had reneged on their promise to pay them some $150 million in compensation.

Lawyer Rod Domingo, legal counsel of the victims, said the Marcoses failed to meet the October deadline set in the compromise agreement that they forged last year.

"The Marcoses were supposed to pay the victims until the last day of October but they failed. It is very disappointing for the victims," he said.

Close to 10,000 victims of human rights abuses during martial law have filed and won a class suit before a US court that awarded them compensation of $1.9 billion from the Marcoses.

Last year, however, the victim and former First Lady Imelda Marcos had entered into a settlement that entitled the victims $150 million in compensation.

Under the agreement, the Marcoses were to pay the victims until last October but they failed to do so. This prompted the victims to come up with a new strategy to remind the Marcoses family of their commitment.

"We’ll come up with full-page ads in newspapers against the Marcoses next week. This will not only remind them of their commitment but also refresh the memory of the Filipinos about the atrocities during the Marcos regime," Domingo said.

Aside from compensation, the victims are also demanding apologies from the Marcos family for the human rights abuses committed during their term in Malacañang.

"The souls of the victims who are crying for justice should be heard…. We hold that through these ads, dictatorship will no longer be repeated in the country," he intoned.

The print ads will initially be about the late strongman President Ferdinand Marcos, then his wife Imelda and daughter Ilocos Norte Rep. Imee Marcos.

Domingo said that with the expiration of the October deadline, the victims would work for increase of the compensation from $150 million to at least $200 million.

"Because of interests and their failure to pay on time, the amount must be increased to at least $200 million. The victims have been waiting too long," he explained.