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Delays in the construction of a memorial museum honoring martial law victims may be attributed to the "seeming foot-dragging" of the University of the Philippines, according to an official of the Human Rights Violations Victims Memorial Commission (HRVVMC).

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MARTIAL LAW 03092024

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<div><span data-teams="true" id="isPasted"><span dir="ltr">MANILA — Delays in the construction of a memorial museum honoring martial law victims may be attributed to the &quot;seeming foot-dragging&quot; of the University of the Philippines, according to an official of the Human Rights Violations Victims Memorial Commission (<span data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor="" data-darkreader-inline-color="" id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;float:none;display:inline !important;--darkreader-inline-color:#bfb9b1;--darkreader-inline-bgcolor:#181a1b">HRVVMC).</span></span></span></div><div><span data-teams="true"><span dir="ltr">The project named &quot;Freedom Memorial Museum&quot; is planned to be built on a lot inside the UP Diliman campus, covered by a usufruct agreement.<br/></span></span></div><div><span data-teams="true"><span dir="ltr">During the budget briefing of the Commission on Human Rights before the House Committee on Appropriations on Tuesday, HRVVMC Executive Director Carmelo Victor Crisanto told lawmakers that the commission finished its part of the agreement with UP in October 2022, but UP has yet to sign the turnover document. <br/></span></span></div><div><span data-teams="true"><span dir="ltr">He issued the statement in response to the question of Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas.</span></span></div><div><span data-teams="true"><span dir="ltr">&quot;What’s delaying talaga? Kasi di ba dapat may time frame, tapos dapat ‘yung UP kung may structure man doon, nailipat na niya, nagawa niya na ‘yun. What’s happening? Hindi ko maintindihan kasi matagal na ito, di ba?&quot; Brosas asked.</span></span></div><div><span data-teams="true"><span dir="ltr">&quot;Ang unang kailangan gawin ng UP is to sign the handover or the turnover document from the memorial commission to UP. That means they can now fully control the assets that we have provided and infuse from their own budget P50 million more to complete the landscaping, the office buildings for the staff of the Community Maintenance Office, Yard and Workshop, to move. Without them signing that handover document or the turnover document, hindi po malalagyan ng pera ang UP to finish the relocation,&quot; Crisanto explained.</span></span></div><div><span data-teams="true"><span dir="ltr">&quot;We finished our part of the agreement in October 2022. We gave them the impetus to accept it in June of 2023. If I look at the number of months that I have been delayed by UP, it’s now like 20 months,&quot; he added.</span></span></div><div><span data-teams="true"><span dir="ltr">&quot;We’ve been in constant communication with the leadership of UP. And some of them, actually, have been victims of that period… so their heart is in it. I cannot understand the bureaucracy of UP, why it takes them so long to actually accept it. Kumbaga parang donation of P80 million, when that is something that is positive for an institution such as the university. I cannot explain their seeming foot-dragging in this matter,&quot; Crisanto noted.</span></span></div><div><span data-teams="true"><span dir="ltr">The HRVVMC sought Congress&#x27; help in &quot;nudging&quot; UP to fulfill its end of the obligation. It plans to reach out to UP again to resolve the matter. Crisanto last met with UP officials in April.</span></span></div><div><span data-teams="true"><span dir="ltr">&quot;The arrangement after eight months of the UP Vice President for Legal working on the handover, turnover documents, finally said they finished the document and they are ready to sign it with the Chair of the memorial commission. We wanted this handover ceremony before June 12 of this year,” he said.</span></span></div><div><span data-teams="true"><span dir="ltr">The Commission on Human Rights&#x27; budget sponsor, Negros Oriental 1st District Rep. Jocelyn Limkaichong, said the panel will write to the UP administration to explain the delays. </span></span></div><div><span data-teams="true"><span dir="ltr">House Committee on Higher and Technical Education Chairperson and Baguio City Representative Mark Go also gave an assurance that he will call the UP president and bring the matter to the next UP Board of Regents meeting.<br/><br/>&quot;Member ako ng board of regents ng UP, hindi namin napag-usapan ‘yan sa board of regents. Bilang tugon sa inyong request, if you may, I will bring it up in the next board of regents meeting. We will call the (UP) President and I hope they can take action immediately on this matter,” Go said.<br/><br/>&quot;It’s just a matter of transferring from this area location to another site, a new site, which they have already provided. They just need to vacate, but unfortunately, the community or the people still in that old building has not yet relocated to the new site,&quot; Limkaichong added.<br/><br/>&quot;Magse-September 21 na, at ganoon kahalaga ‘yung time frame ng gusto natin. Kasi syempre ang itatanong sa atin ng martial law survivors, nasaan na? Ilang taon na ‘yun eh. Baka nga sobrang matatanda na, namamatay na ‘yung iba. At least manlang makita nila yung museum na pupuntahan ng mga anak, apo at ‘yung mga bagong henerasyon na hindi makalimutan ‘yung nangyari noong nakaraan. Ganoon ‘yung halaga ng museum,&quot; Brosas noted.<br/><br/>Republic Act 10368 created the HRVVMC primarily for the establishment, restoration, preservation, and conservation of the memorial, museum, library, and/or compendium in honor of the victims of human rights violations during the regime of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Sr., father of incumbent President Ferdinand Marcos.</span></span></div>

<p>Delays in the construction of a memorial museum honoring martial law victims may be attributed to the "seeming foot-dragging" of the University of the Philippines, according to an official of the Human Rights Violations Victims Memorial Commission (HRVVMC).</p>

Alleged delays by UP hinder construction of museum for martial law victims: official

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Alleged delays by UP hinder construction of museum for martial law victims: official

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 03, 2024 05:10 PM PHT

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House of Representatives

Commission on Human Rights

Human Rights Violations Victims Memorial Commission

martial law

Freedom Memorial Museum

HRVVMC

University of the Philippines

UP

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