Human rights groups on Friday welcomed the decision of the Sandiganbayan convicting Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos for seven counts of graft.

The Commission of Human Rights ( CHR) said "despite being a long process, this conviction is nonetheless a triumph for the Filipino people, especially for the victims of human rights violations under martial law, in the face of historical revisionism."

CHR stressed the need for truth so the Marcoses can be held accountable for their crimes.

As former CHR chairman and justice secretary, Senator Leila De Lima said the verdict for Marcos is "long overdue".

But de Lima said the verdict is "still a welcome relief in our tedious struggle to make the Marcoses and their cohorts accountable for their crimes."

She said the development serves as a reminder to other abusive and crooked officials, including Malaca?ang officials, that the long arm of the law and justice will catch up with them.

The Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial Law also said "partial justice appeared to have been won by the Filipino people against plunderers."

They said, this conviction gave them enough hope to continue the fight for justice.

" It is a victory for us, the Filipino people, who have never backed down from the struggle against the return of the Marcoses to power, even in the face of great odds," they said.

Karapatan, in a separate statement, said the decision is "among the victories by the Filipino people in obtaining justice and accountability against the Marcos dictatorship."

"We however lament that it had to take 22 long years since the ouster of Marcos to attain such a ruling under the Philippine justice system,"

Karapatan demand the immediate arrest and imprisonment of Marcos. Ella Dionisio/DMS