Library honoring rights violation victims under Marcos Sr. opens November 15

MANILA, Philippines — The library of the Human Rights Violations Victims’ Memorial will be open to the public starting November 15, according to the Human Rights Violations Victims’ Memorial Commission.

Located inside the Corporate Center in Quezon City, the HRVVM Library is open from Monday to Friday at 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The HRRVMC envisions the library as “the most comprehensive and authoritative source of knowledge and information on human rights violations during the Martial Law period from 1972-1986.”

According to the commission, the library will host resources “related to human rights, transitional justice, and historical memory.”

“It will serve as a space for learning, reflection, and empowerment, not only for researchers and scholars but also for the broader community,” the HRVVMC.

The HRVVMC was created by Republic Act (RA) 10368, which mandates the “establishment, restoration, preservation, and conservation of the memorial, museum, library, and/or compendium in honor of the victims of human rights violations during Martial Law.”

Under the law, a memorial, museum, or library shall be established to honor the victims of human rights violations in the country’s history.

During the rule of the late president Ferdinand Marcos Sr., records show that there were 3,257 known extrajudicial killings, 35,000 documented tortures, 77 “disappeared” cases and 70,000 incarcerations.