From Silence to Accountability: Human Rights Violations in Lanao During Martial Law (1972-1981) and the Transitional Justice Imperative

Abstract

This paper looks into the systematic violations of human rights in Lanao, Philippines, from 1972 to 1981 under the Martial Law regime of the late president, Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., and crafts comprehensive policies that are anchored on the concept of transitional justice. The research documents specific human rights violations in the two provinces of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte through field research in selected communities, founded on survivor testimonies, family members, relatives and witnesses who lived through this period. Critical findings of the research include: the uncovering of various, almost undocumented human rights abuses; a disturbing lack of knowledge about the violations among the younger generations, resulting in a very dangerous gap within collective memory; a persistent lack of accountability for perpetrators; and a documented absence of adequate measures of compensation for victims.
Based on the applied transitional justice framework, this paper articulates policy recommendations in the following four key areas of transitional justice: right to truth (providing historic documentation), right to justice (accountability mechanisms), right to compensation/ reparations for victims, and guarantees of nonrecurrence/safeguards against future violations. This research has made significant contributions to current literature regarding the impact of Martial Law on Muslim Filipino (Bangsamoro in Southern Philippines) communities because this view has historically been on the periphery of mainstream or the national history. More importantly, this research provides policy recommendations to the local and national administration on how justice may be remedied for the past and how peaceful solutions may be derived for the region.