Rillo eyes ‘5-fold’ compensation for violent crime victims, rape survivors
QUEZON City Representative Marvin Rillo has said he wants to increase “five-fold” the reparations that victims of violent crime, including rape survivors, may claim from the government under a special program managed by the Department of Justice (DoJ).
As proposed by Rillo, a stalwart of Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD), under House Bill (HB) No. 5029, victims of violent felonies such as rape and murder, or their heirs, may collect up to P50,000 each from the DOJ’s Board of Claims.
Rillo’s bill seeks to amend the 1992 law – the Republic Act (RA) No. 7309 – that created the Victims Compensation Program (VCP).
The 30-year-old law provides no more than P10,000 to each “victim of violent crime” who files a claim.
“The P10,000 top limit per claim has remained the same for the last three decades despite massive erosion due to rampant inflation,” Rillo pointed out.
“Congress must now upgrade the ceiling to reflect the changing times,” Rillo said.
VCP claims payments are 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 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 an 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.
AUTHOR PROFILE
‘Spread the love’ handog ng MPD
