Senators yesterday reiterated that allowing former President Ferdinand E. Marcos to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City would be in conflict with the law and render the human rights violations he committed during his regime as non-existent.
Sen. Grace Poe, who was rumored to be Marcos’ lovechild with actress Rosemarie Sonora, cited that Republic Act 10368, which provides reparation and recognition to human rights victims during the Marcos regime, proves the extent of the abuses he did during his presidential term.
Another law, she said, clearly stipulates who should be buried at the national heroes’ cemetery.
“I really believe that if we are to take this law seriously, having that burial will be in conflict with that law,” Poe said in an ANC Headstart interview.
“Even Rizal had a quote something that says that anybody who contributed to the ruin of a nation, no matter what they did, can never really be considered as a liberator or as a hero,” she added.
President Duterte has insisted the former President should be allowed to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
“He is qualified to be buried there. If other Filipinos don’t want that, fine,” Duterte said.
Sen. Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV he hopes that the President would listen to the majority of the people who are opposed to a hero’s burial for Marcos. “So with all these people speaking out, I hope the President’s mind would still change,” Aquino said in an interview.
He was also worried that if Duterte pushes through with the plan, it would throw the people into great confusion on the relevance of the People Power revolution.
“Let’s not distort history by burying a person, who, based on history, have committed crimes against the nation and its people. It’s not logical,” Aquino said. (Hannah L. Torregoza)