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Atty. Remigio Saladero Jr. — a lawyer representing the families of the victims of the May 13 Kentex factory fire — said that his clients will still file criminal charges against the owners of the footwear firm despite the fact that some of them agreed to a settlement.
“Saladero said some of his clients were coerced into signing the agreement, while others were forced to settle because of hardship. The lawyer also echoed the sentiments of labor groups supporting the victims’ families that the amount of compensation was not enough,” reports Rey Galupo in The Philippine Star.
Saladero further explained, “Their agreement will not be above the provision of Article 23 of the Revised Penal Code that the pardon given by the offended party shall not affect criminal liability. The criminal case will continue because the victims’ families were the only ones who pardoned them and not the government.”
The report noted, Atty. Renato Paraiso, who represents Kentex Manufacturing Corp., said the victims’ families agreed to a settlement of PHP151,200. The settlment’s breakdown is presented as such: PHP100,000 for death benefits, PHP30,000 cash for the identification of the remains of the victims, PHP10,000 burial assistance, PHP6,200 for funeral services, and PHP5,000 travel assistance.
Paraiso had argued that “the fire was an accident and that no criminal liability can be imputed to the owners of the factory.”
Photo: Dennis Datu, dzMM (Twitter)
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