BTA Committee on Justice’s Technical Working Group on Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Holds Public Hearing for Maguindanao del Norte

COTABATO CITY (July 16, 2025) — The Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Committee on Justice’s Technical Working Group on Transitional Justice and Reconciliation (TJR) conducted a public hearing for Maguindanao del Norte on the morning of July 15, 2025, at Alnor Convention Center in Cotabato City. The purpose of this session was to gather community feedback on two proposed measures aimed at institutionalizing transitional justice across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The two proposed bills are Private Member Bill No. 25, titled “Regional Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission for the Bangsamoro Act,” authored by Deputy Speaker Laisa Alamia, and Parliament Bill No. 353, known as the Government of the Day’s “Bangsamoro Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Act.” Both bills aim to establish comprehensive regional programs for transitional justice and reconciliation in the Bangsamoro. Deputy Speaker Alamia’s bill specifically proposes the creation of a Regional Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission that would design and oversee a program prioritizing victims’ rights to truth, justice, and reparation. In contrast, Parliament Bill No. 353 broadly seeks to create a regional mechanism to address grievances, historical injustices, human rights violations, and marginalization, particularly concerning land dispossession experienced by the Bangsamoro people and other indigenous groups.

The CBJS team, led by its Chairperson, Member of Parliament Atty. Suharto M. Ambolodto, MNSA, engaged with various stakeholders during the public hearing. Attendees included representatives from the provincial and local governments of Maguindanao del Norte, the Bangsamoro Human Rights Commission (BHRC), the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) women’s group, civil society organizations, and local community leaders.

Abusama M. Amilil from LGU Talitay highlighted the importance of addressing land dispossession issues, while Hadja Giobay S. Diocolano, State Chairperson of the MNLF Women, stressed the need for passing the proposed measures to further address human rights violations and seek justice, particularly for women.

In response, MP Ambolodto noted that the proposed commission would possess the authority to create fact-finding bodies for comprehensive truth-telling, backed by documented evidence, preferably from primary sources.

Haider B. Momen, OIC Head of the Fulfillment Division of the Bangsamoro Human Rights Commission, sought clarification regarding the commission’s composition but reaffirmed the BHRC’s strong support for its establishment. “We hope that our insights will contribute to the creation of the BTJRC and will bring forth future areas of collaboration between the BHRC and the BTJRC, should it be approved and established by the Bangsamoro Government,” Momen said. “The BHRC reaffirms its commitment to supporting this transformative initiative and looks forward to collaborative efforts that make peace a shared and lasting legacy for the Bangsamoro people,” he said.

Abdillah Alabat, Vice-Mayor of Upi, expressed concerns about ancestral domain claims of Indigenous Peoples in his municipality, particularly regarding untitled lands. MP Ambolodto clarified that the Bangsamoro Indigenous Peoples Development Act of 2024 (BIPA) already provides a comprehensive legal framework to protect and promote the rights of Indigenous Peoples within the BARMM. He also emphasized the importance of advancing TJR in a “more pluralistic tri-people context.”

MP Ambolodto concluded by emphasizing, “Reconciliation is the heart of the peace process, which can only happen with transitional justice.”

Public hearings on the same bills also took place concurrently in two other locations: the Municipality of Guindulungan for Maguindanao del Sur, and Jamiat Kabacan Al-Islamie Inc. in Kabacan, North Cotabato, for the Special Geographic Areas.

MP Ambolodto’s post said that on the conclusion of its public hearings on the bills, the CBJS will now consolidate and review all feedback and position papers for deliberation. (PR, BMN/Bangsamorotoday)