By EUGENE ADIONG
BACOLOD City — The government’s Human Rights Victims Claims Board (HRVCB) has been accepting claims applications from people who believe their rights were violated during martial law.
It had put up a station at the MKK Annex Building of the city hall (People’s House) here for Negros Occidental claimants.
About 500 supposed human rights victims trooped to the city hall yesterday. HRVCB will accept claims until today, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
HRVCB chairperson Lina Sarmiento said they were expecting about 20,000–30,000 claimants nationwide.
All claims must be filed personally, she said.
Those who will file fraudulent claims on the part of claimants and those with HRVCB who will misuse funds and commit fraud in processing claims will face imprisonment of 8–10 years, Sarmiento stressed.
Claims board member Jose Luis Gascon also warned against selling the claims form.
“We have received reports that some people were charging human rights victims P500 for the (claims) forms,” said Gascon.
Gascon said the form can be downloaded from the HRVCB website for free. The filing of claims is free of charge as well, he said.
He warned unscrupulous individuals “not to victimize human rights victims again by asking money from them.”
Sarmiento said HRCVB has until November 10 this year to accept claims. All claims will be validated until May 12, 2016, she said.
Republic Act (RA) 10368 has allotted P10 billion as reparations for victims of human rights violation during martial law, she said. She did not say how much each valid claimant will get.
“There is a point system, depending on the severity of the violation: 10 points for those who were killed, 6–9 points for those tortured; 3–5 points for those detained; and 1–2 points for other human rights violations,” she said.
All stories and photos of the victims will be enshrined in the proposed Human Rights Violations Victims Memorial Commission, said Sarmiento.
RA 10368 created HRVCB to recognize and provide reparations to victims of gross human rights committed by the Marcos regime from September 21, 1972, to February 25, 1986, according to the claims board’s website.
The claims board shall also recognize the heroism and sacrifices of the victims by enshrining their names in the Roll of Human Rights Violations Victims as the state’s moral and legal obligation, the website said.
Sarmiento said they might return to this city to accommodate more claims before the year ends./PN
