The Social Fabric

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The Social Fabric of Extrajudicial Killings and
Enforced Disappearances by Cristina
Montiel Department of Psychology Ateneo de Manila
University
Paper presented at the National Consultative
Summit on Extrajudicial Killings and Enforced
Disappearances sponsored by the Supreme Court, on
16-17 July 2007, Manila Hotel.
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The Social Fabric of Extrajudicial Killings and
Enforced Disappearances I. Brief Background
II. Social and Psychological Terrain of
Extrajudicial Killings A. On the side of the
perpetrators 1. cultural beliefs 2. reward
systems 3. psychological practices B. On the
side of the victims 1. issue of fear 2.
obtaining justice
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Extrajudicial Killings and Enforced
Disappearances are

• Physical punishments without the permission of a
  court or legal authority
• Politically motivated
• Within a protracted war

They are a threat to our national security!
?
Agents of the State
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In the Philippines
PERPETRATORS Perceived to be with the States AFP
VICTIMS Perceived to be with the CPP-NPA
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On the side of the PERPETRATORS, address 1.
Cultural beliefs in the State and AFP that make
extrajudicial killings okay

• Image of the (communist) enemy/ demonizing the
  (communist) enemy ? ? ?
• Enemy as inhuman almost like a devil
• Enemy has saturated civil society
• Righteousness of killing the enemy

b. Authoritarian culture and blind obedience to
superior
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On the side of the PERPETRATORS

• Reward systems in the AFP like, for ex., career
  promotions related to how many enemies one has
  captured or killed

3. Psychological practices used by State
elements to facilitate extrajudicial killings

• Political labeling publicly classifying someone
  else
• Blaming the victim holding the victim of a
  wrong responsible for what has happened to them

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On the side of the VICTIMS, address
1. Issue of FEAR among the loved ones
witnesses to the murders/ dukot
?? For a witness protection program - Recognize
other non-State sanctuaries like local
government, church, NGO?
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On the side of the VICTIMS, address
2. Obtaining satisfactory JUSTICE
Four levels of JUSTICE
?? ? Level Four A sense of fairness is restored
(next slide)
? Level Three Truth is told about what really
happened Ex. special courts, joint
history-writing, truth commissions
? Level Two Stopped killings Ex. truce,
ceasefire
?Level One Ongoing extrajudicial killings
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?? ? Restoring a Social Sense of Justice

• ? Prosecution
• Consider inviting representatives from the
  international community as observers, or in a
  mixed tribunal of foreign-local jurists etc.
• ? Non-criminal sanctions such as removal from
  government posts
• ? Can we remove from government posts the
  perpetrators of extrajudicial killings?

Perpetrator-based JUSTICE
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?? ? Restoring a Social Sense of Justice
?Victim compensation ? Recognition of their pain
in public memorials ? Restitution for losses that
they endured ? Medical and psychological
treatments for those who survive the ordeal
(including their loved ones) ? Re-burial
accompanied with the proper burial rites
VICTIM -based JUSTICE
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A future Philippine State, free of bloodletting
and respectful of the rule of law