Manila: A lawyer overseeing the disbursement of cash compensation for victims of Ferdinand Marcos' martial law abuses has ordered the release of the cheques to be put on hold amid a scandal involving fake claimants.
Rod Domingo, who represents the victims of martial law repression, said the cheque payments had been put on hold until the authenticity of the individual claims could be ascertained.
According to Domingo, banks have been told to "immediately stop payments," to the claimants.
Some 10,000 victims of human rights violations during Marcos' presidency had filed a class suit before a US court in 2003.
On Thursday, news reports said the police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) had busted a syndicate recruiting fake claimants to the martial law rights victims compensation fund.
The ring, supposedly led by Edward and Marlyn Santiago, was said to have been recruiting elderly people willing to pose as claimants.
