THERE was the promise of consultation, even a plebiscite, if necessary, but nothing of that sort happened when President Rodrigo Duterte announced he will have dictator Ferdinand Marcos buried as a hero.
Duterte announced his decision in a press conference Sunday before dawn in Davao City. "I will allow the burial of Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (heroes’ cemetery). The law provides who is allowed to be buried at the Libingan – presidents and soldiers," he said. "Definitely, he was a President and a soldier. You choose between the two. He is qualified to be buried there. If other Filipinos don't like it, fine. I can't [please them]."
Duterte had admitted he once voted for Marcos and that his father had served in Marcos’s Cabinet.
Not long ago, on March 20 to be exact, in Cebu City during the presidential candidates’ forum, Duterte said in a post-forum interview he would consult human rights victims or those tortured or who lost family members during the Marcos martial law regime about his inclination to approve the family’s request for a hero’s burial for their patriarch.
During the “Taas kamay” (Raise your hand) segment of the presidential debate, the candidates were asked if they would allow a hero’s burial for Marcos. Duterte was one of two candidates who raised their hands. While the debate format did not allow for explanations, Duterte said in an interview later that he would consult martial law victims and try to get a consensus, then submit the question to a plebiscite.
He said then, “It is time to move on, someone has got to give. Just bury him and end it, anyway if a person is dead, that’s it.” The Marcos burial issue would continue to divide the nation if it is not resolved, he added.
Groups of Marcos victims, Church officials and other sectors opposed the burial plan and said Duterte should listen to them, too. They said Marcos’s sins against the people are grave and disqualify him from having a hero’s burial.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana issued the necessary paperwork Monday by ordering the Armed Forces of the Philippines to start preparations for the burial. He said his memorandum was in compliance with Duterte’s verbal orders. The Armed Forces was told also to coordinate with the Marcos family on the body’s transfer from Ilocos Norte to the cemetery in Metro Manila and for the burial. The Philippine Veterans Affairs Office will be the primary office for the preparations.
Duterte didn’t mention a date for the burial but reports said it would be on September 18.
Reports on his burial decision reached international media quickly. Several news publications abroad carried reports on his decision. This was the second time in two days that Duterte’s name came out in the international press, the first being on his naming of 150 judges, mayors and police officials as those involved in the illegal drug trade.
Duterte has the right and the authority to change his mind and make decisions as the country’s leader. In the Marcos burial case, however, those opposed to it have been banking on a process where they could air their position and try to dissuade the President. No process would take place anymore.
With his announcement Sunday, there would be no way for them to try to convince Duterte but through public statements and protests on the streets.
(ninicab@sunstar.com.ph)