EACH of the 10,000 human rights victims of the Marcos regime will get from P500,000 to P3.5 million in indemnification to be taken from 30 percent of the $570-million Marcos money now being held in escrow.
National Democratic Front chair Jose Ma. Sison will get P3.5 million as a direct-action plaintiff.
Judge Priscilla Mijares stands to receive P2.4 million because her husband Primitivo and son Luis Manuel were victims of summary execution.
Movie director Joel Lamangan, sectoral Rep. Loretta Ann ''Etta'' Rosales and activist Satur Ocampo--all victims of torture--will get close to P500,000 each.
The government and the NDF arrived at the scheme on sharing $171 million of the Marcos money based on the formula suggested by US 9th Circuit Court Judge Manuel Real, who had awarded $2.3 billion to the victims of human rights violations.
Close to 5,000 torture victims of the martial law years will thus get P498,800 each.
The heirs of 3,184 victims of summary executions will get P1.22 million each.
The heirs of about 880 victims who disappeared will get P1 million each.
Sison and 20 other direct-action plaintiffs will be given about one percent--or $1.7 million--of the total $171 million that will go to the human rights victims.
But despite getting the smallest percentage of the indemnification, Sison's group will get the biggest amount among the Marcos victims because there are only 21 of them, each of whom will get P3.5 million.
Those in Sison's group are victims of torture, disappearances and summary executions.
The sharing was arrived at after the government, represented by Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora, and the NDF, represented by NDF negotiating panel chair Luis Jalandoni, agreed to adopt the formula suggested by Judge Real.
The American judge had awarded the 10,000 class suit victims $2.3 billion.
He awarded the torture victims 33 percent of the $2.3 billion; summary execution victims, 53.6 percent; victims of disappearances, 12.4 percent; and the direct-action plaintiffs, less than one percent.
Zamora and Jalandoni agreed to give the rights victims 30 percent--or $171 million--of the $570 million.
Based on Real's formula, 33 percent of $171 million--or $56 million--will be shared by close to 5,000 torture victims who will receive $11,600 each, or close to P500,000 based on the prevailing dollar exchange rate of P43.
The close to 4,000 heirs of summary execution victims were given a total of $91 million, or P1.2 million each.
Heirs of 880 victims of disappearances were given $21 million with each heir getting $23,000 or about P1 million.
After the Zamora-Jalandoni formula is implemented, the government will deduct the $570 million from the $2.3 billion Real awarded to the class suit victims.
Asked why the government would deduct $570 million instead of $171 million from the $2.3 billion, Selda explained that the victims only wanted the Marcoses to pay for their crimes.
''We are not really after the money,'' explained Selda secretary general Marie Hilao-Enriquez. ''All we want is for the Marcoses to be prosecuted, convicted and jailed.''
The 30 percent sharing formula will be in force until the claims of the victims are fully satisfied.
The rights victims, led by the Samahan ng mga Ex-detainees Laban sa Detensyon at para sa Amnestiya (Selda), negotiated with the Philippine government for a share of the Marcos loot, or whatever Marcos assets that would be recovered, following the signing of an agreement between the NDF and the government recognizing the claims.
Documents showed that President Estrada in August signed the agreement, prompting Zamora and Jalandoni to come up with a formula.
By Christine Herrera
Philippine Daily Inquirer, September 5, 1998 |