COTABATO CITY(January 30) — For decades, families in Bangsamoro have carried the scars of armed conflict, land dispossession, and human rights violations—from ancestral lands lost during colonial transfers to the trauma of decades-long unrest. On Thursday, the Bangsamoro Parliament took a historic step to address these injustices by approving the Bangsamoro Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Act of 2026.
The law establishes the Bangsamoro Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission (BTJRC), a regional body mandated to investigate historical human rights violations, support survivors, and promote reconciliation across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region. The measure passed unanimously on its third reading, 36-0, and is considered “the heart of the Bangsamoro peace process.”
“Transitional justice is embedded in the Bangsamoro Organic Law. This law establishes a regional framework without replacing national mechanisms,” said Deputy Floor Leader Suharto Ambolodto.
Voices of the affected
For survivors like *Amina, a resident of Maguindanao whose family lost land during the post-colonial redistribution, the law offers hope of acknowledgment and redress. “For years, our stories were ignored. We want the next generation to know what happened and to heal,” she said during a community consultation.
The BTJRC will conduct fact-finding missions, hearings, and community listening sessions to document survivors’ accounts, memorialize victims, and ensure their stories inform policy. It will coordinate with the Bangsamoro Commission for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage and the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education to integrate these lessons into schools, and develop museums and memorials for communities to remember their struggles.
Addressing land and systemic injustices
A key focus is land dispossession, documenting cases from the Treaty of Paris in 1898 to the present, and supporting reforms in titling, registration, taxation, and dispute resolution. The Commission will coordinate with national agencies, including DENR, DAR, DHSUD, NCIP, and LRA, to provide restitution, compensation, and institutional reforms.
“This law gives survivors a voice and a path toward justice and reconciliation,” said Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua. “It is a chance to heal wounds that have been passed down through generations.”
A structured, survivor-centered framework
The BTJRC will operate for seven years, extendable by three, with fiscal autonomy and an initial ₱125 million appropriation. It will provide mental health and psychosocial support, submit annual and terminal reports to the Parliament and Philippine Congress, and ensure policies are victim-centered, trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, and restorative.
Its membership includes women, lawyers, an alim in Shari’ah, representatives of non-Moro indigenous peoples, residents of island provinces, and civil society advocates—ensuring survivors’ perspectives are at the center of transitional justice in Bangsamoro.
For survivors like Amina and countless families across the region, the BTJRC represents a first real chance to tell their stories, seek accountability, and rebuild their lives—a long-awaited step toward lasting peace in Bangsamoro.
