Pittance of a symbol

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor GUILLERMO TEJIDA III Desk Editor PATRICK PANGILINAN Busines Editor NIDA A. BUENAFE Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

Knowing that 7,526 victims of torture and human rights abuses during the regime of Ferdinand Marcos will receive a measly $1000 or roughly P43,000 for all the pain and horror that they went through during the martial law years, one cannot help but have mixed emotions.

 On one hand, there are those who can comfort themselves with the symbol that the money brings, confirming that the Marcoses had amassed ill gotten wealth and that Ferdinand Marcos is being held responsible for his actions. On the other hand, nobody can deny that the amount is a pittance, especially for those who were either tortured, raped, or abducted more than 20 years ago, and even more outrageous if you consider that the amount came from only $10 million that was recovered from a crony and dummy of the late dictator, while you see that the heirs of Marcos continue to enjoy opulent lives, hardly affected by the loss of that amount.

As borderline insulting for the victims and downright insignificant for the Marcoses the amount may be, this is still a major milestone for victims of human rights abuses as this is the first time in Asia that victims are being indemnified. Many of the recipients, who are still bearing the scars of their experiences, are still wallowing in poverty such that even though many of us may be offended the measly amount, they will not be able to refuse any kind of monetary compensation, no matter how grossly unfair.

Even if it is pitiful beyond belief, it is still a symbolic triumph of justice and it also verifies the atrocities of the Marcos regime that have unfortunately been glossed over with the comeback of the Marcoses and aided by our woefully short memories.

As the recipients accept the $1000 and get on with their lives that have been forever changed by their unfortunate encounter with a dictator many decades ago, let us do what we can to ease their pain of being shortchanged by assuring them that we will never forget what they went through and promising them that we will do everything we can to ensure that dictators and tyrants, as well as their heirs who have not shown any remorse, will never get a chance to wrap their greedy and brutal hands around our country ever again.*