Du30: Marcos ‘deserves a hero’s burial’
Sen. Risa Hontiveros says the President’s decision to bury Marcos at the heroes’ cemetery contradicts with his recent strong public disapproval of oligarchs Says the lawmaker that the military regulation pertaining to allocation of cemetery plots at the heroes’ cemetery to state forces is not absolute, as an exception was provided for those who were convicted of offenses involving moral turpitude
PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte has maintained that the late president Ferdinand Marcos deserve hero’s burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB).
“[Marcos’ remains should be buried at the heroes’ cemetery] because he was a President, period. [The Libingan ng mga Bayani] is for presidents and soldiers. Go ahead, attack Marcos,” Duterte said in an interview in Davao on late Monday.
Duterte ordered the transfer of Marcos’ remains at the heroes’ cemetery on Sept. 18 to fulfill his campaign promise to the family.
The president’s ally, Aquilino Pimentel Jr., and Vice President Leni Robredo said the late dictator does not deserve a hero’s burial.
But Duterte said that Marcos had a right under the law to rest in a place reserved for the country’s for- mer presidents and fallen soldiers.
“You know, let’s stick to the law. It’s not because I have indulgence in the Marcoses, no, [it’s not like that],” the President said.
In a press briefing, presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said that Duterte recognized the disapproval of several individuals against his decision but said that “it is necessary to move on [and] it is now time to move on.”
On Sunday, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana had tasked the Armed Forces of the Philippines to closely coordinate with the Marcos family, in preparation for the late president’s burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros said the President’s decision to bury Marcos at the heroes’ cemetery contradicts with his recent strong pub- lic disapproval of oligarchs.
“President Duterte cannot end the rule of oligarchs in the country by honoring the very man who created a crony oligarchy during Martial Law,” Hontiveros said.
Hontiveros also argued that the military regulation pertaining to allocation of cemetery plots at the heroes’ cemetery to state forces is not absolute, as an exception was provided for those who were convicted of offenses involving moral turpitude.
“In the case of Hilao vs. Estate of Marcos, the jury found the estate of defendant Ferdinand Marco liable to 10,059 plaintiffs for the acts of torture, summary execution and disappearance. This conviction should suffice to disqualify Marcos from being buried at the heroes’ cemetery,” Hontiveros explained.
The senator said that the Duterte government should just lay the remains of the Marcos in his hometown or some other place “that will not serve to distort history.”