September 11, 2024 | 5:52pm
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appears to have no objections to the museum aimed to commemorate the human rights victims of his father and namesake’s Martial Law rule.
The Human Rights Violation Victims’ Memorial Commission (HRVVMC) asked for a budget of P55.39 million for 2025. The Department of Budget and Management also increased the budget by 20% from what the HRVMC asked.
In 2024, the commission had an approved budget of P42.34 million.
During the budget hearing of the Commission on Human Rights and its attached agencies on Wednesday,
Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada asked HRVVMC Executive Director Carmelo Victor Crisanto how Malacañang has treated the commission.
“The Palace expresses its support through the Department of Budget and Management, and I am here to say that during the administration of President Bongbong Marcos, we have never received any instruction to stop what we’re doing,” Crisanto said.
Malacañang’s followup
Estrada asked if Crisanto has been able to speak to the president, but the latter replied that he has only been able to speak to Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin last year in April.
Crisanto said that Bersamin asked what the cause of the delays was.
“Hindi ba dapat tapos na yung museum na yan two years ago? What’s delaying you? (Wasn’t that museum supposed to be done two years ago? What’s delaying you?)” Crisanto said, quoting Bersamin.
The construction of the Freedom Memorial Museum has long been delayed due to issues in land ownership. Crisanto said it is supposed to be built on land where the University of the Philippines Diliman Campus Maintenance Office is. But the issue has already been resolved with an upcoming transfer of the UP facilities to the HRVVMC, he said.
There is still no construction as of the moment, but Crisanto said they could finish building the museum in 18 months, as long as UP vacates the 1.4-hectare area.
Marcos Sr.’s Martial Law was marked by rampant corruption and human rights abuses. In 2013, a law was passed to compensate the victims of Martial Law with the ill-gotten wealth of the family.
The Human Rights Victims’ Claims Board, which was meant to investigate and process the reparation applications of Martial Law victims, has approved the claims of 11,103 state-recognized victims out of 75,000 claimants.
However, the number of victims may have exceeded 100,000, with 70,000 people imprisoned, 34,000 tortured and 3,240 killed, according to Amnesty International.
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