The victims of torture and abuse win compensation
Michael, a young 16 year old boy was picked up by plainclothes police with three of his friends when they were having an innocent night at the Olongapo beach celebrating a birthday. They were bundled into a van and taken to a dark room under the stage of the open air theater in the city.
It was the rule of martial law under the Marcos regime and his cronies ruled every town and city. Michael was one of the many thousands whose human civil and constitutional rights were violated with impunity. He was stripped, held down and the most sensitive part of his sexual organ was burnt again and again with burning cigarettes .He screamed but no one heard. He cried and no one cared. Unable to walk he was lucky not to have been shot. They dumped him in the Marikit public park and told him to steal and deliver the goods in a week. They had become a criminal gang. He crawled and begged for help. That night he was barely able to make it to the Preda youth center that gave protection to victims of abuse and torture. He was told to steal and deliver the items to the police. If he didn't, worse would happen. They came looking for him a week later. They pulled out guns and threatened us but we stood our ground and threatened dire legal action against them. It was a bluff but it worked.
No one in the Philippines has ever been held accountable for the indescribable suffering that so many brave and freedom loving Filipinos endured for having the courage to speak against the human rights abuses and work for justice and freedom. Many thousands disappeared, and were assassinated and others like Michael were tortured, imprisoned and abused. All these techniques were taught to the Filipino military in US training faculties at Fort Benning, Fort Bragg and the School of the Americas and preserved in the training manuals brought back to the Philippines to train others how to abuse their own people. The higher officers were trained in West Point and were trained to do the bidding of the USA. These fascist torture methods are used in Iraq and the Philippines to this day.
How the disgraced US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfelt could shamelessly justify torture techniques before the American people is beyond understanding and Bush made it legal by repudiating the Geneva Convention. Let's hope that the resounding defeat of the Republicans in the mid-term elections will give the Democrats the strength to reverse these wicked policies that violate human rights. The American people have always believed in the sacred dignity of every human being and rejected torture and abuse. Let's hope they return to their true values.
Now comes in a decision of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals granting the victims of human rights abuses under the Marcos tyranny an award of US$35 million of the Marcos billions of ill-gotten wealth as compensation for the suffering they endured. There are about ten thousand registered and each will hopefully get a meager US$2000. If Michael's name was registered, we have no idea for he was never recognized as a victim.
We ought to be rejoicing yet inexplicitly a Philippine Government agency tasked with recovering the ill-gotten wealth of the Marcos regime has opposed any claim by the victims to the money. It is the government and it should go to land reform they claim. This sounds very legalistic but behind all this is the greedy desire of the rich and powerful to get their hands on that money. This decision coming after years of litigation and hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees and all for nothing other than denying the victims their compensation. This has to stop and those who suffered must get what is due to them. It is small enough justice after what they have suffered.
Fr. Shay's columns are published in The Universe, The Voice, Local News and other magazines in the UK & Ireland, Sunday Examiner in HK, The Manila Times, Philnews USA and Worldwide on Internet and Web sites, Archives: www.preda.org - Copy free with permission
It was the rule of martial law under the Marcos regime and his cronies ruled every town and city. Michael was one of the many thousands whose human civil and constitutional rights were violated with impunity. He was stripped, held down and the most sensitive part of his sexual organ was burnt again and again with burning cigarettes .He screamed but no one heard. He cried and no one cared. Unable to walk he was lucky not to have been shot. They dumped him in the Marikit public park and told him to steal and deliver the goods in a week. They had become a criminal gang. He crawled and begged for help. That night he was barely able to make it to the Preda youth center that gave protection to victims of abuse and torture. He was told to steal and deliver the items to the police. If he didn't, worse would happen. They came looking for him a week later. They pulled out guns and threatened us but we stood our ground and threatened dire legal action against them. It was a bluff but it worked.
No one in the Philippines has ever been held accountable for the indescribable suffering that so many brave and freedom loving Filipinos endured for having the courage to speak against the human rights abuses and work for justice and freedom. Many thousands disappeared, and were assassinated and others like Michael were tortured, imprisoned and abused. All these techniques were taught to the Filipino military in US training faculties at Fort Benning, Fort Bragg and the School of the Americas and preserved in the training manuals brought back to the Philippines to train others how to abuse their own people. The higher officers were trained in West Point and were trained to do the bidding of the USA. These fascist torture methods are used in Iraq and the Philippines to this day.
How the disgraced US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfelt could shamelessly justify torture techniques before the American people is beyond understanding and Bush made it legal by repudiating the Geneva Convention. Let's hope that the resounding defeat of the Republicans in the mid-term elections will give the Democrats the strength to reverse these wicked policies that violate human rights. The American people have always believed in the sacred dignity of every human being and rejected torture and abuse. Let's hope they return to their true values.
Now comes in a decision of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals granting the victims of human rights abuses under the Marcos tyranny an award of US$35 million of the Marcos billions of ill-gotten wealth as compensation for the suffering they endured. There are about ten thousand registered and each will hopefully get a meager US$2000. If Michael's name was registered, we have no idea for he was never recognized as a victim.
We ought to be rejoicing yet inexplicitly a Philippine Government agency tasked with recovering the ill-gotten wealth of the Marcos regime has opposed any claim by the victims to the money. It is the government and it should go to land reform they claim. This sounds very legalistic but behind all this is the greedy desire of the rich and powerful to get their hands on that money. This decision coming after years of litigation and hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees and all for nothing other than denying the victims their compensation. This has to stop and those who suffered must get what is due to them. It is small enough justice after what they have suffered.
Fr. Shay's columns are published in The Universe, The Voice, Local News and other magazines in the UK & Ireland, Sunday Examiner in HK, The Manila Times, Philnews USA and Worldwide on Internet and Web sites, Archives: www.preda.org - Copy free with permission
posted by OlongapoCity Zambales at
7:39 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home