Philippine Human Rights Victims v Arelma, Inc.
Marcos Régime May Finally Pay for Philippine Human Rights Violations
The plaintiffs may be closer to collecting part of a $2 billion jury award in a class action filed against Philippine company Arelma, Inc., on behalf of thousands of Filipinos who were imprisoned and tortured by the Marco government, and loved ones who survive those who were executed. Persons eligible to take part in the lawsuit may contact the attorneys for the class for more information. The money will not be distributed until all possible appeals have been exhausted.
A Hawaiian federal District Judge has denied a motion by Arelma requesting that $40 million in assets be protected from the judgment. Arelma was created by late Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos in 1972 as a shell company. To date, the plaintiffs have not received any money. The money has been held in escrow while the courts decided who should receive it. To $40 million represents the first money collected by the plaintiffs.
Marcos was president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986 and wielded absolute control of the country, ruling under martial law. During that time, he ordered tens of thousands of people arrested or detained without charges. Thousands were subjected to torture and thousands more were summarily executed and others simply disappeared. Marcos left the Philippines in February 1986 and lived in Hawaii until his death in 1989. The lawsuit was filed under the federal Alien Tort Claims Act, which allows human rights victims to sue if a U.S. court has jurisdiction over the defendant.
