Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 43 views

    Maglana: Martial Law and Historical Injustice

    Uploaded by

    Dever Gerona
    The article discusses the Duterte administration's tendency to talk about historical injustices in Mindanao without acknowledging abuses during Marcos' martial law. It notes horrific events like massacres of civilians that occurred during martial law. It argues the administration has endorsed whitewashing Marcos' regime and legacy. The withdrawal from the ICC is seen as stripping Filipinos of an option for justice for human rights violations. Lessons from history indicate tyrants try to avoid accountability, but justice ultimately prevails.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Maglana: Martial Law and Historical Injustice

    Uploaded by

    Dever Gerona
    43 views6 pages
    The article discusses the Duterte administration's tendency to talk about historical injustices in Mindanao without acknowledging abuses during Marcos' martial law. It notes horrific events like massacres of civilians that occurred during martial law. It argues the administration has endorsed whitewashing Marcos' regime and legacy. The withdrawal from the ICC is seen as stripping Filipinos of an option for justice for human rights violations. Lessons from history indicate tyrants try to avoid accountability, but justice ultimately prevails.

    Original Description:

    human rights

    Original Title

    hukayin

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    The article discusses the Duterte administration's tendency to talk about historical injustices in Mindanao without acknowledging abuses during Marcos' martial law. It notes horrific events like massacres of civilians that occurred during martial law. It argues the administration has endorsed whitewashing Marcos' regime and legacy. The withdrawal from the ICC is seen as stripping Filipinos of an option for justice for human rights violations. Lessons from history indicate tyrants try to avoid accountability, but justice ultimately prevails.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    43 views6 pages

    Maglana: Martial Law and Historical Injustice

    Uploaded by

    Dever Gerona
    The article discusses the Duterte administration's tendency to talk about historical injustices in Mindanao without acknowledging abuses during Marcos' martial law. It notes horrific events like massacres of civilians that occurred during martial law. It argues the administration has endorsed whitewashing Marcos' regime and legacy. The withdrawal from the ICC is seen as stripping Filipinos of an option for justice for human rights violations. Lessons from history indicate tyrants try to avoid accountability, but justice ultimately prevails.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 6

    10/3/2018 Maglana: Martial law and historical injustice - SUNSTAR

    Maglana: Martial law and historical


    injustice


    MAGS Z. MAGLANA

    March 23, 2018

    IT BOGGLES the mind: this tendency of the Duterte administration to wax eloquently about historical injustices against the

    Bangsamoro, indigenous peoples, and Mindanao in general without referencing horrific experiences during the time of

    Marcos’s martial law and not recognizing the risks of a repeat performance under the current one put in effect by

    Proclamation 216.

    Aside from notoriously known violations like the 1974 Taqbil Masjid massacre in Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat and the 1971

    Manili massacre in Carmen, North Cotabato, there were many lesser known crimes against civilians like the 1978 incident

    in Buluan where soldiers shot at 15 farmers.

    Even more transgressions were likely committed against indigenous peoples who are at the frontline of defending forests

    and mineral lands from intrusions, except these were not documented and widely disseminated.

    Although steps have been taken like documentation by the Commission on Human Rights of the Palimbang massacre and

    compensation under the Human Rights Victims Claims Board (HRVCB), government actions from the time of President

    Cory Aquino onwards have not been adequate.

    From the lens of transitional justice-dealing with the past, developments in Philippine society post-Marcos dictatorship

    indicate that we have not been able to satisfactorily deal with martial law.

    We see manifestations of what lawyer Ruben Carranza of the International Center for Transitional Justice described as

    efforts to cultivate “a version of Marcos that depicts his dictatorship as necessary, its repression justified, its corruption no

    worse than that of other politicians and his legacy as far better than that of the presidents that followed.”

    That we observe these in the work of people who, in all likelihood, have been directly mobilized by the Marcos network is

    not surprising. But hearing pronouncements and actions from President Rodrigo Duterte, himself, endorsing this white-

    washed version of Marcos and the Marcos years is disappointing.

    Many supporters of President Duterte, who are earnest in their hopes for redress of historical injustice, have been duped

    into uncritical acceptance of Marcos presence and influence among the bloc of Duterte supporters.

    Key to this is the ongoing systematic and insidious scheme to reduce Philippine society into only two camps: supporters of

    Duterte and those against him. This binary thinking has paved the way for wholesale political rehabilitation not only of

    https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/425234 1/6
    10/3/2018 Maglana: Martial law and historical injustice - SUNSTAR

    Marcos, but also of disgraced leaders Erap Estrada and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and their enablers.

    The two-camps and destabilization by anti-Duterte forces storyline is being used to justify the country’s withdrawal from

    the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) as a reaction to the ICC's preliminary examination of allegations

    of human rights violations under Pres. Duterte. For good measure, the narratives of anti-meddling from foreigners—a

    perversion of nationalism in this case—and alleged poor performance of the ICC have also been introduced.

    The tragedy is that international courts like the ICC are one of a few critical mechanisms to ensure that justice is accorded

    to those victimized by massive violations under repressive regimes when it is not possible under domestic formal justice

    settings.

    Lessons from history bear out that authoritarian control over governments is absolute to the point that redress might not

    be had even when dictators are no longer in power.

    In such cases, lawyer Carlos Castresana Fernandez, Public Prosecutor of the Spanish Supreme Court and member of the

    Commission against Impunity in Guatemala, recommends applying the principle of complementarity and trying out

    alternative domestic jurisdictions, universal jurisdiction, hybrid mechanisms, and international justice mechanisms.

    It is ironic that an administration ushered into power by tapping into legitimate grievances and thirst for justice would strip

    Filipinos one of the options for obtaining justice.

    But it is not at all surprising. History is also replete with accounts of tyrants who tried to put themselves beyond the reach

    of law.

    As was the experience of Castresana in Guatemala in the first decade of the 2000s, those who seek justice can look to help

    from international quarters. Even those who seemed “untouchable” at one point can be subjected to effective criminal

    investigations.

    Guatemalans finally saw those responsible for high levels of violence, criminality, a collapsed security and justice system,

    poverty, deep-seated corruption, and indigenous exclusion brought to justice. A former president and many top-level

    ministers, judges, police and military officials, and business people were held accountable.

    Tyrants may manage to constrain the hand of the law for a time. But there is no staying the long arm and firm hand of

    justice.

    Email feedback to [email protected]

    historical injustices ICC CHR Indigenous Peoples Martial law Duterte administration justice Bangsamoro

    HRVCB

    https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/425234 2/6
    10/3/2018 Maglana: Martial law and historical injustice - SUNSTAR

    Sponsored Links

    Selfie Quadcopter Revolution in Philippines. The Idea Is Genius


    Drone X Pro

    Must-Have Device Every Philippines Car Owner Needs


    XY Find It

    Never Lose A Photo Again With This Innovative Gadget


    Photostick

    This is One of The Cheapest Ways to Get a Flight Ticket


    LaseTrips.com

    16 unbelievable pictures of things you won’t believe exist


    WoJournals

    Paggamot ng varicose veins sa bahay?!


    reGen

    0 Comments Sun.Star Philippines 


    1 Login

     Recommend t Tweet f Share Sort by Best

    Start the discussion…

    LOG IN WITH
    OR SIGN UP WITH DISQUS ?

    Name

    Be the first to comment.

    ✉ Subscribe d Add Disqus to your siteAdd DisqusAdd 🔒 Disqus' Privacy PolicyPrivacy PolicyPrivacy

    https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/425234 3/6
    10/3/2018 Maglana: Martial law and historical injustice - SUNSTAR

    Sponsored Links

    Must-Have Device Every Philippines Car Owner Needs


    XY Find It

    Meet the Cheap Drone with HD Camera, Taking Philippines By Storm


    Drone X Pro

    The Fastest Way Ever To Find All Your Lost Photos


    Photostick

    Mukhang bata akong muli gamit ito!


    YoungLook

    20 tips on car care which professional cleaners wish we didn’t know


    WoJournals

    Everyone from Quezon City should be able to Find Cheapest Flight Tickets Here
    LaseTrips.com

    Download PDF (Free) OPEN


    To View PDF, Download Here free.fromdoctopdf.com

    MORE LOCAL

    https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/425234 4/6
    10/3/2018 Maglana: Martial law and historical injustice - SUNSTAR

    SUPERBALITA STORIES

    https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/425234 5/6
    10/3/2018 Maglana: Martial law and historical injustice - SUNSTAR

    https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/425234 6/6

    You might also like