Office of the President

of the Philippines Malacaang

PRESIDENTIAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE

24 January 2011

HON. REP. RENE L. RELAMPAGOS Chairman, Committee on Human Rights House of Representatives Quezon City, Manila human.rights.cad@congress.gov.ph Attn: Ms. Fely D. Parcon Committee Secretary

Dear Sir, In reply to your request for a written exposition of the sentiment of our office on the compensation bills pending before your good committee, we tender the following statement: Our office agrees unreservedly with the general sentiment already expressed about the critical necessity of immediately enacting a compensatory law for the benefit of the victims of human rights violations during Martial Law. Without doubt, doing so is a political, legal, and moral imperative insofar as it constitutes, in part, a necessary step towards putting closure to this tragic chapter in our countrys political history; there can truly be no moving on or moving forward until the welfare of the victims thereof, who ought to be commended for having raged against the dying of the light of democracy then, is properly addressed. Our office fervently hopes that the incumbent President, who has repeatedly voiced his support for the victims, will use his clout to ensure the passage of such a law passed during his term of office and that towards this end, he will make the compensation of the victims part of his legislative agenda and marshal sufficient political support in both chambers of Congress for it. As it is, the present dispensation affords the incumbent President the historic opportunity to follow through thereon. When seen through the prism of human rights, the compensation of the victims is a multi-faceted objective that is indubitably conformable to, and consistent with, our countrys human rights treaty obligations. Moreover, it is an unequivocal statement that public accountability requires that atrocities suffered by the victims of Martial Law are never consigned

to the dustbin of history. Above all, it is an acid test of how well our country gives form and substance to the spirit of the Edsa People Power Revolution of 1986 and of how well it can come to grips with, and learn from, its past and uphold the primacy of human rights and the enforceability thereof as hallmarks of good governance. Knowing the uphill struggle the victims have had to engage in all these years, our office devoutly wishes that the longstanding tug-of-war between them and the government over the illgotten wealth of the Marcoses, which has been eyed as the primary source of compensation, will eventually be resolved in ways that is conformable to both their principled stands. And in this regard, our office ventures to give the opinion that Congress may be instrumental in helping bridge the gap between them. Salamat po sa inyong maunawaing paghihintay. Respectfully yours,

ATTY. JOSE AMOR M. AMORADO

Senior Deputy Executive Secretary

Office of the President

of the Philippines Malacaang
PRESIDENTIAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SENIOR DEPUTY EXECUTIVE SECRETARY From : USEC. SEVERO S. CATURA Executive Director, PHRC-Secretariat DRAFT PHRC STATEMENT RE COMPENSATION LAW FOR THE BENEFIT OF HUMAN RIGHTS VICTIMS OF MARTIAL LAW January 26, 2011

Subject

Date

Sir: The House Committee on Human Rights, headed by (Bohol) Rep. Rene L. Relampagos, has sought our written comment on the House bills aimed at compensating human rights victims of Martial Law. In response, we have prepared the enclosed draft statement based not only on our consultations with the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) but also on the relevant policy pronouncements of the President. In essence, it is a manifestation of unqualified support for the compensation of the said victims as well as an exposition of the farreaching political implications of having a compensation law passed at long last. . If the Senior Deputy Executive Secretary finds the enclosed draft statement acceptable, then he may affix his signature thereon or alternatively, he may instruct yours truly to sign thereon on his behalf.

SS CATURA