Did you know that victims of violent crimes such a rape can only claim up to P10,000 in government reparation based on a three-decade old law?
And that particular law--Republic Act (RA) No. 7309--is what Quezon City 4th district Rep. Marvin Rillo wants to amend in order to give victims of violent crimes bigger government compensation.
Rillo penned and filed House Bill (HB) No. 5029, which gives a five-fold increase to the compensation.
This means that victims of rape and the heirs of murder victims--just to name a few--may collect up to P50,000 each from Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Board of Claims, if the measure gets enacted.
The full title of Rillo's bill reads, "An Act amending Section 4 and 9 of Republic Act No. 7309 entitled, 'An Act creating a Board of Claims under the Department of Justice for victims of unjust imprisonment or detention and victims of violent crimes and for other purposes."
Enacted in 1992, RA No.7309 was the law that created the Victims Compensation Program (VCP).
“The P10,000 top limit per claim has remained the same for the last three decades despite massive erosion due to rampant inflation. Congress must now upgrade the ceiling to reflect the changing times,” pointed out the neophyte solon.
VCP payments are given in addition to whatever damages may be awarded to victims in a criminal or civil action against the offender.
Citing Philippine National Police (PNP) statistics, Rillo said a total of 5,177 rape cases were reported nationwide in 2022, along with 4,205 murder cases and 977 homicide cases.
The VCP compensates “victims of rape and crimes committed with malice which resulted in death or serious physical and/or psychological injuries, permanent incapacity or disability, insanity, abortion, serious trauma, or committed with torture, cruelty or barbarity".
It also pays victims of enforced or involuntary disappearance under RA No. 10353.
The reparations are meant to help reimburse expenses incurred by claimants for hospitalization, medical treatment, loss of wage, loss of support and other costs directly related to injury.
Rillo’s bill also seeks to raise to P100,000 per year of incarceration the maximum amount of compensation that victims of unjust imprisonment or arbitrary and illegal detention may claim from the VCP.