Victims of Marcos compensated<\/p>\n
MANILA (Reuters): The nearly 10,000 victims of human rights
\nabuses during late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos's rule
\nwill probably each get about $15,000 under a tentative settlement
\nwith the Marcos family, their lawyers said on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Under the settlement, the Marcos family agreed to pay the
\nvictims a total of $150 million but legal fees and expenses of
\nthe victims' lawyers would still have to be deducted from the
\namount, the victims' Filipino counsel Rod Domingo told reporters.<\/p>\n
A total of 9,539 Filipinos asked for damages against the
\nMarcos estate in a class action civil suit they filed before the
\nU.S. district court in Hawaii.<\/p>\n
Marcos died in exile in Hawaii three years after he was ousted
\nin a popular revolt.<\/p>\n
The court found the Marcos estate liable for damages in 1993
\nand awarded the victims about $2 billion. The victims' lawyers
\nsaid they decided on a compromise settlement to avoid further
\nlegal battles.<\/p>\n
Former first lady Imelda Marcos and her son, Ferdinand Jr,
\nhave signed the accord on the compromise settlement, the lawyers
\nsaid. Marcos' son confirmed the accord on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The agreement is still provisional as it has to be finally
\napproved by the Hawaii court which will supervise distribution of
\nthe money, Domingo said.<\/p>\n
The Philippine government, which has accused the Marcoses of
\nlooting the Treasury and is claiming their assets as well, also
\nhas to approve the settlement. President Joseph Estrada said
\nrecently he was willing to give the victims' just compensation.
\nUnder the agreement, a copy of which was released in Manila by
\nDomingo, the victims renounce all further civil claims against
\nthe Marcoses for any human rights violations.<\/p>\n
A leading Manila human rights lawyer, Rene Saguisag, said \"the
\nbattle is not over.\"<\/p>\n
\"Our ultimate goal for the healing to begin is that there must
\nbe an admission and apology on the part of these world class
\nhuman rights violators,\" Saguisag told reporters.<\/p>\n
The text of the agreement released in Manila contained no
\nexplicit statement that the Marcos regime had abused human
\nrights.<\/p>\n
Domingo said the money would be drawn from the half billion
\ndollars of Marcos deposits in Swiss banks. Switzerland has
\ntransferred the deposits to an escrow account in Manila pending a
\nruling by a Philippine court on who actually owns the money.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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