A Comparative Study on the Prevailing Justice System and the People’s Court (Hukumang Bayan) System of the CPP-NPA

Abstract

Recent developments in Philippine society caused some questions about the People’s Court of the CPP to come to the fore. Questions about its legitimacy, fairness and effectiveness had been raised with the killing of ex-NPA leader Romulo Kintanar. This study presents a comparison of the prevailing justice system and the justice system in the revolutionary movement. We would like to look in its processes, orientation and its way of settling disputes. This would be instrumental in making generalizations on which system provides a more effective venue for handling conflicts. A study was done on the particularities of the Kintanar case, his life, revolutionary career, supposed cases tried under the People's Courts, and reactions of different groups with regards to the "execution". This study criticizes both systems of justice, with the aim of improving both in terms of justice and fairness.