Somr 11,103 victims of human rights violations during martial law—from 1972 to 1981—are set to receive indemnification as the government’s claims board wraps up its work this Saturday.
The number represents only 14 percent of the total 75,749 claims filed because the rest failed to submit “substantial evidence” required by the Human Rights Victims’ Claims Board, its chairwoman Lina Sarmiento said Wednesday.
Claimants will get their compensation from Ferdinand Marcos’ secret Swiss bank deposits worth P10 billion—the amount of indemnification based on the gravity of abuse suffered by victims.
A maximum of 10 points worth P1.76 million are assigned for those who were killed or victims of enforced disappearance, Sarmiento said.
Despite the tight deadline, she said some surviving family members were yet to decide who among them should receive the amounts to be released by the board through LandBank.
Meanwhile, military units attached to the Joint Task Force Sulu have rescued one of the men, kidnapped along with two female police officers near the Jolo Airport last April 29.
“At 2 p.m. on May 8, 2018, KV [kidnap victim] Blas Jackosalim Ahamad, a resident of Sitio Palar, Barangay Gandasuli, Patikul, Sulu was rescued by the troops of Marine Battalion Landing Team 3, led by Lt. Col. Ramil DC Holgado at Sitio Budjang, Barangay Libog Kabao, Panglima Estino, Sulu,” Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, JTF Sulu commander, said in a statement Wednesday.
Ahamad, Faizal Ahidji, PO2 Benierose Alvarez, and PO1 Dinah Gumahad were abducted by the Abu Sayyaf Group under sub-leader Almujer Yadah last April 29.
Sobejana said Ahamad underwent medical examination at the Kuta Heneral Teodulfo Bautista hospital before he was debriefed at the JTF Sulu headquarters in Busbus town, Sulu.
He said information given by Faizal Ahidji, who was released by his ASG captors in Sitio Daang Puti, Barangay Bangkal, Patikul, Sulu at about 7 p.m. Saturday, helped them rescue Ahamad.
“His [Ahidji’s] relatives brought him [to] the headquarters of JTF Sulu for documentation. As part of the procedure, he underwent medical examination. A custodial debriefing was subsequently conducted. “The valuable information he shared to (sic) us led to the rescue of Blas Jackosalim Ahamad,” Sobejana said.
Efforts to rescue the remaining kidnap victims will continue, he said.
In a related development, five more members of the New People’s Army’s “Militia Ng Bayan” voluntarily surrendered to security troops in Ambaguio, Nueva Vizcaya on Monday.
In a statement Tuesday, Capt. Jefferson Somera, 5th Infantry Division spokesperson, said the five rebel supporters turned themselves in to troopers of the 54th Infantry Battalion and personnel of the Ambaguio Police at the Landing Patrol Base in Barangay Poblacion.
Somera said their surrender was made possible through the intervention of Barangay Ammoweg.
Before their surrender, the five served as contacts, couriers and spies of regular NPAs operating in the area.
As of this posting, they were being debriefed at the Landing Patrol Base.
As of Jan. 1, the 5th Infantry Division had recorded the surrender of seven NPA rebels and 63 “Militia Ng Bayan” members. With PNA