IT was a political blunder committed by former President Fidel Ramos who allowed the Marcoses to be back in the country and once again use their money and influence. Relatives of those laid to rest in the Libingan Ng Mga Bayani (LNMB) were reportedly barred from visiting the tombs of their departed for several days since former president Ferdinand Marcos’ interment. A widow of a military colonel who wanted to bring some flowers to her departed on his fifth death anniversary was not permitted to enter.
Enough of their abuse of power.
The famous Beatles, the popular British rock band, were not spared and experienced abuse then. I learned from a reliable source that in 1966, the former First Lady invited The Beatles for a brunch in Malacañang Palace. The band declined for fear that they may not be able to make it to their first show on time. The snubbing incident almost cost the lives of The Beatles who allegedly received death threats after its two shows in the country.
“When the British band arrived at the airport, an angry mob was waiting for them at the runway. The band and their entourage were pushed, punched, knocked down, spat on and screamed at by Marcos supporters. After making it onto the plane, the band’s manager, Brian Epstein, was forced to get off and turn over all the money the band had made from the two sold-out concerts,” my source revealed.
“Marcos’ burial in the LNMB was a monumental injustice,” shouted a protestor. Some described the hero’s burial in two words… historical revisionism.
A clandestine hero’s burial for the dictator only resonates the cry of the poor and brings us back to images of excesses, extravagance and corruption in different forms allegedly amounting to nine billion dollars in a span of 20 years. The burial issue also relives the pain of incarceration suffered by several activists and political opponents. The controversial decision of President Rodrigo Duterte to bury the dictator in the LNMB only puts some families in an emotional roller coaster. Their loved ones disappeared when the country was under Martial Law and were never found.
Yes, the former president turned dictator was not dishonorably discharged and was not convicted of any criminality. Marcos was ousted through the people’s revolution, thus, forcing the family to be exiled in Hawaii. I believe that what happened in Edsa in 1986 was worse than a conviction. He was overthrown. In our own language “sinipa sa puesto at pinalayas.”