COTABATO CITY – The Bangsamoro Parliament has approved the Bangsamoro Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Act of 2026 on its third and final reading, establishing a regional mechanism to address historical injustices, land dispossession, and human rights violations, while promoting healing and reconciliation in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.
The measure, passed unanimously with 36 affirmative votes, creates an independent body called the Bangsamoro Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission (BTJRC), which will oversee the Bangsamoro Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Program.
Lawmakers described the law as “the heart of the Bangsamoro peace process,” highlighting its central role in building lasting peace.
Deputy Floor Leader Suharto Ambolodto, chair of the Committee on Bangsamoro Justice System, emphasized that transitional justice is embedded in the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) and that Parliament was mandated to establish the regional program. He clarified that the law does not replace national transitional justice mechanisms but creates a regional framework led by the BTJRC.
The measure, considered a priority by Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua, consolidates proposals from the Government of the Day and Deputy Speaker Laisa Alamia. It aims to address the root causes of the conflict in Bangsamoro history and prevent its recurrence by establishing an institutional framework for healing and lasting peace.
The law aims to provide a structured path for accountability, peacebuilding, and restorative justice, guided by principles that are human rights-based, victim-centered, culturally sensitive, inclusive, gender-responsive, trauma-informed, conflict-sensitive, restorative, and people-owned.
Under the new law, the BTJRC will investigate human rights violations from the American period up to the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).
It will conduct fact-finding activities, including hearings and community-based listening sessions with survivors, their families, and affected communities, to document comprehensive accounts of massive and emblematic human rights violations.
The Commission may also recommend legal actions when warranted, and it will oversee memorialization and commemoration of notable events, victims, and martyrs of the struggle for the Bangsamoro’s right to self-determination.
The BTJRC will encourage national and local governments to adopt similar initiatives outside the region, ensuring that these narratives reach a wider audience.
On historical injustices, the BTJRC will work with the Bangsamoro Commission for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage (BCPCH) and other agencies to document and popularize Bangsamoro history from the pre-colonial period to the present through both physical and digital forms.
It will coordinate with the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education (MBHTE) to integrate lessons on historical injustices into the regional educational curriculum.
The Commission will also establish regional transitional justice museums, promote community-based memorialization initiatives, and recommend the recognition of historically and culturally significant sites, structures, and events. It will identify gaps and provide recommendations for the Philippine Government to fully realize transitional justice and reconciliation at the national level, particularly in educational and institutional reforms.
Regarding land dispossession, the BTJRC will document and publish official accounts of land marginalization from the Treaty of Paris in 1898 to the present, highlighting policies and practices that transferred land from Moros and other indigenous peoples to private corporations and individuals outside the Bangsamoro.
The Commission will support the development of enhanced dispute resolution mechanisms, recommend reforms in land services including titling, registration, taxation, and management, and coordinate with national agencies such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), and the Land Registration Authority (LRA).
It will also propose recommendations for the national government to address land settlement, restitution, compensation, and other institutional reforms.
The BTJRC will operate for seven years, with a possible three-year extension if deemed necessary by the Chief Minister, and will have fiscal autonomy with an initial appropriation of P125 million.
It will provide mental health and psychosocial support to victims of armed conflict and submit annual and terminal reports to both the Bangsamoro Parliament and the Philippine Congress, recommending legislative or policy measures when necessary.
The Commission will be composed of a chairperson and four regular members, all descendants or spouses of native Bangsamoro inhabitants with proven integrity and at least ten years of experience in transitional justice, peacebuilding, or human rights. Representation is structured to include women, lawyers, an alim in Shari’ah, a representative of non-Moro indigenous peoples, residents from island provinces, and a civil society organization. (LTAIS-Public Information, Publication, and Media Relations Division)
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