10,000 plaintiffs accuse Marcos

HONOLULU (Reuter) - Atrocities alleged to have been carried out by order of the former Philippines president, Ferdinand Marcos, resulted in the deaths of thousands of people, according to witnesses testifying on the first day of a trial.

The lead attorney in a suit filed against the Marcos estate on behalf of more than 10,000 plaintiffs told prospective jurors on Wednesday he would show that Marcos caused or failed to prevent numerous abductions, tortures, executions and disappearances. The case is the first international human rights class action suit to be heard in the United States.