REFLECTION

When we were being oriented on what we will be doing for the HRVVMC
Indexing Project, I was overwhelmed and excited at the same time because we were
given such opportunity to help hand-in-hand with an organization that has the objective
of giving justice for the victims of human rights violation during the Martial Law. I
assumed that this will going to be an easy task because all the resolutions and dockets
needed were provided and are easily accessible for us.

There were remarkable cases that I have encountered upon doing the indexing
project. Those cases impacted me in a way that they made me realize how unjust the
system was during the Martial Law in relation to the issues of human rights and made
me question the actions done by the perpetrators. They were also human beings who
probably have enough knowledge on human rights, yet they still violated the rights of
the victims.

Despite the mixed emotions that I felt, I can say that this project, as a whole, has
affected me positively. It served as an eye-opener for me because I gained insights
about the situations that happened during the Marcos regime. Additionally, it helped me
widen my perspective about human rights and their importance. We must bear in mind
that every human being— regardless of social standing, gender, age, or characteristics
— have equal rights that need to be respected.