Atty. Ruben Carranza on Transitional Justice and its Global Implications

“The most important part of transitional justice work is to help those affected by human rights violations articulate how they see justice–and on our side, to assist them in shaping how they get to the justice they want to see.” – Atty. Ruben Carranza

On September 24, 2025, Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) hosted a timely discussion titled “Duterte at the International Criminal Court: Global Implications.” The event featured Atty. Ruben Carranza, Senior Expert at the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), moderated by Professor Noha Aboueldahab, Assistant Professor of International Law at GU-Q. Together, they unpacked the recent arrest of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity.

Atty. Carranza, who works with victims' communities across the Philippines, South Africa, Timor-Leste, and many more, is a seasoned expert in transitional justice and international law. As a former commissioner in the agency that recovered around $680 million in ill-gotten wealth from the Marcos family, his insights carry both legal and moral weight beyond the Philippine context.

During the discussion, he contextualized Duterte’s arrest by revisiting integral moments in Philippine history–from the martial law regime under former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr. to Duterte’s controversial war on drugs. He commented on the bitter irony of the Philippines ousting a dictator, only to elect his son five decades later.

Beyond historical analysis, Carranza emphasized the human cost of impunity and the urgent need for victim-centered justice.

“When I do my work in the field of transitional justice, we rely on victims of human rights violations, communities affected by armed conflict, people who are or who have been harmed by abuses, crimes, or who have grievances in societies that are emerging from war, dictatorship, or still have legacies of occupation, colonialism, foreign intervention. And when we engage with them, we try as much as we can to respect how they want to express their demands for justice and what they see are the forms of justice they need most.” he said.

Consequently, on September 25, Carranza met again with the GU-Q community in a more intimate setting, as Katipunan, GU-Q’s Filipino club, hosted a special conversation for its members. The session, moderated by Jazmaine Simbulan (SFS ‘27), allowed students to ask questions about law, justice, and career opportunities in international affairs.

When asked what advice he would give to students, Carranza challenged conventional ideas about law and justice.

“Law can sometimes be an obstacle to justice,” he said. “You don’t have to be a lawyer to understand international law. I’ve worked with many people who are familiar with it yet they’re not lawyers.”

He emphasized that students should not lose sight of the real-world implications of their studies.

“It's important to not turn international relations or law into abstract concepts. I often talk about grievances of people. Students need to remember that; for many people outside of the field they're studying, international law or relations is meaningless to them. They live in situations where they're hungry, unemployed, and they need health care.”

Atty. Carranza urged students to stay grounded. Specifically, he posed a question: “Why would people, ordinary people, care about what I'm studying? I absolutely respect academics, but I think academics can only teach you so much (such as) abstract concepts.”

Throughout the close conversation, Atty. Carranza and students tackled various aspects of Philippine politics–not just about the Dutertes and Marcoses–but also about the recent anti-corruption protests in the Philippines and the challenges that the youth face when it comes to expressing their political voices and opinions.