The Commission on Human Rights on Thursday cited more abuses committed on human rights violations victims (HRVVs) during the martial law by lawyers and fixers at the Human Rights Victims' Claims Board, who they claimed endorsed the quick release of their monetary compensation.
In a statement, CHR spokesperson Jacqueline Ann de Guia said there were claimants who fell prey to such modus operandi.
“It came to our knowledge about allegations of abuses by individuals and groups on the victims seeking financial reparation at the HRVCB,” she said.
“There were some lawyers seeking a huge commission from the victims in exchange for the quick release of their claims. There were also fixers and even financiers taking advantage of several victims who did not have enough knowledge on how to encash checks, open a [bank] account or transact with a bank,” she added.
She advised the HRRVs to only transact with the volunteers of HRVCB.
“They [volunteers] are more than willing to assist the claimants on their concerns and queries,” she said.
“We cannot turn back the hands of time. The reparation is just a small way of giving them the justice they need so much,” she added.
Out of the 75,730 claims for monetary reparation, only 10,616 claims or 15 percent were approved by the HRVCB.
The independent board gave HRVCB until May 12 to distribute the remainder of the P10 billion from the late President Ferdinand Marcos’ Swiss bank deposits recovered by the Philippine government.
The deadline for the claims had already lapsed last May 12.
“It is already in the hands of Congress to create another law to pursue the distribution of more claims for human rights victims under the martial law,” De Guia said.