Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno asserted on Wednesday that it is “hard to move on” from the issues of martial law as there is a lack of accountability for the injustices that had happened to the victims.

Diokno made the statement in response to Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Robinhood Padilla who both told the public on Tuesday to “move on” from the martial law issues and insisted that the Marcos family has nothing to apologize for.

“Mahirap mag-move on kung walang pananagutan. ‘Yung mga nangyari noong batas militar, ‘yung korapsyon, ‘yung paglabag ng mga karapatang pantao ay hindi pa natin nakakamit ang hustisya para sa mga pang-aabuso na ‘yon. Okay lang naman mag-move on tayo pero kailangan muna may accountability,” he said in an interview during DZRH’s Damdaming Bayan.

Diokno said many victims of the enforced disappearance are not yet found, he cited cases like Filipino priest Father Rudy Romano who was abducted in the 1980s.

“Hanggang ngayon hindi pa rin alam at walang closure ang pamilya kung ano ba talaga ang nangyari at nasaan ang kanyang bangkay,” he added.

The human rights lawyer shared that many of the cases filed in court seeking justice for the victims are still pending.

“Ayun ang isang nakakapagtaka na limangpung taon na ang nakalipas pero nandyan pa din ang mga kaso. Dapat by now, sana natapos ang mga kaso. Nasaan ang closure at sinasabing move on? ” Diokno said.

“Ito ang nakikita nating kakulangan sa sistema ng hustisya, na hanggang ngayon may kaso na nagsimula pa ng 1970s ay nandon pa din. Dapat tapos na ‘yan, kailangan meron pa ring pananagutan,” he added.

The human rights lawyer emphasized that “justice delayed is justice denied”.

Diokno’s father, former senator Jose “Pepe” Diokno, was a martial law victim. He was only 11 years old when he witnessed his father be taken away by military officers and was imprisoned for two years without formal charges.

Former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr. declared martial law on Sept. 21, 1972, and today marks its 50th anniversary.

According to Amnesty International, Tasks Force Detainees of the Philippines data, there are 100,000 victims of martial law and out of which, 34,000 individuals were tortured and 70,000 were arrested.

Meanwhile, data from the Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance (FIND) showed that more than 800 individuals were still missing.