The Alternative Law Groups stand with the Filipino people, especially the victims of the atrocities during Martial Law, in the relentless pursuit of justice and accountability for the human rights violations committed during the Marcos regime and under former President Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal administration.
In the last national elections, the Marcos family successfully regained political power after years of orchestrated public relations strategies, including fake news peddling, to rebrand their family image. On the 52nd anniversary of Martial Law, victims of this dark period remain unlikely to get justice during Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration.
The fact that Marcos Jr. is the president and many of his relatives and allies now hold key positions across various local and national offices underscores that justice for the victims of Martial Law remains elusive. The Marcoses are doing everything to evade accountability for their past crimes and wrongdoings.
Imelda Marcos, despite being convicted and sentenced to a minimum of 42 years in prison for graft, remains free. Human rights defenders (HRDs) and grassroots communities, however, are not afforded the same leniency. Law enforcers swiftly imprison HRDs and members of grassroots communities in overcrowded jails to protect the interests of powerful corporations and the ruling elite.
This raises the question: “Is the Philippine justice system truly functioning, and who does it serve?” In the 2023 Rule of Law Index by the World Justice Project, the Philippines ranked 100th out of 142 countries—a glaring manifestation of the country’s broken justice system, widespread corruption, disregard for fundamental rights, and lack of accountability within government institutions.
As efforts to amend the 1987 Constitution—a legal framework that enshrines human rights and social justice, born in the aftermath of the ouster of Ferdinand Marcos Sr.—recently threatened our democracy, the Filipino people must remain vigilant and we must continue to challenge abuses by state actors
The Alternative Law Groups, founded during the turbulent yet hopeful period following Marcos Sr.’s ouster, will never forget. At a time when justice remains elusive, we stand alongside the Filipino people in the ongoing pursuit of a just and humane society—one where human rights are safeguarded and fully realized for every Filipino.
The Alternative Law Groups
The Alternative Law Groups is a coalition of 20 legal resource non-governmental organizations engaged in the dual work of empowering marginalized communities and effecting justice system reforms.