Rights victims lose US case against Marcos

[struggle4progress]

Salonga: Go after Marcos heirs


Posted 00:01am (Mla time) Feb 06, 2005
Inquirer News Service



Editor's Note: Published on page A1 of the Feb. 6, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

SAN FRANCISCO, California, United States of America -- For 19 years, they have fought for what they call justice. On Friday, by a stroke of an American judge's pen, all their efforts seem to have come to naught.

Thousands of Filipinos seeking compensation from the regime of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos lost a major legal battle in their quest to recover a $2-billion Hawaiian jury verdict to settle human rights abuses.

A US appeals court ruled that the 9,500 plaintiffs, most of them still living in the Philippines, can't recover $683 million in Marcos assets that were transferred from a Swiss account to the Philippine government, which claims ownership of the money.

"This means the class is going to have a lot of difficulties recovering money," said Robert Swift, an attorney for the plaintiffs. <snip>

http://news.inq7.net/nation/index.php?index=1&story_id=26572



Marcos torture victim says US verdict demeaning

Posted 01:24am (Mla time) Feb 06, 2005
By Ryan Rosauro, Desiree Caluza, Cynthia Balana
Inquirer News Service

Editor's Note: Published on page A21 of the Feb. 6, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer


ONE TORTURE victim during the Marcos regime, now a woman nearing her 50s, said the US appeals court’s verdict over compensation to human rights victims demeaned what she had fought for. <snip>

"That decision demeans our struggle for justice," said Ludie Gallardo-Montemor, referring to the ruling by a US appeals court that victims of human rights abuses during the rule of Ferdinand Marcos can't get the $683 million in Marcos assets now under Philippine government control. <snip>

"I'm not surprised at all. It's merely reiterating that the US courts must respect the decision of Philippine courts, and preventing a foreign government from interfering in the internal affairs of the country," Rosales said. <snip>

http://news.inq7.net/nation/index.php?index=1&story_id=26588

[MyDogSpot]

1. What a sad outcome, after all this time

Reagan/Bush propped up Marcos and then flew him out of Clark AB, Philippines during the rebellion, setting him up in the manner to which he'd grown accustomed to living in Hawaii, at taxpayer expense.

So many Philippines lived in clap-board poverty during the Marcos era, while Ferdinand and Ronny/Nancy whooped it up on party boats just off the coast of Manila. Pathetic.