Rody to respect SC on Libingan burial

MANILA, Philippines - President Duterte is hopeful that the Supreme Court (SC)’s decision on the burial of former president Ferdinand Marcos will be based on law and not on emotions.

 “I hope that the Supreme Court will decide not on the emotion, but of course we know that it will be all legal at the end of the day. What the Supreme Court will rule must be followed,” the President told reporters in Davao City before leaving for Brunei for a three-day state visit.

Duterte was asked to react to information that the high court may rule on petitions seeking to stop Marcos’ burial tomorrow.

“We will follow what the Supreme Court says for after all, it is the Supreme Court who interprets the law and decide which of the public interest is served among the contending parties,” the President said.

Duterte maintained that his decision to allow the burial of Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani has legal basis.

 “My position is that there is a law which grants Marcos a burial in the Libingan ng mga Bayani. My position that as long as there is that law, it shall be followed,” he said.

Marcos, who was ousted in the 1986 Edsa revolution, died of kidney, heart and lung ailments in 1989 while in exile in Hawaii. The late strongman’s remains were brought back to the Philippines in 1993, the body now in a glass coffin in Ilocos Norte.

Days before he assumed office, Duterte said he is in favor of interring Marcos at the heroes’ cemetery as a former president and war veteran. He ordered the defense department to start preparations for the burial last month.

Human rights victims and activists are opposed to the burial, saying Marcos does not deserve to be interred at the final resting place of heroes. They also believe that Marcos is not a real hero because he allowed humans rights violations during his 20-year presidency.

Seven petitions seeking to stop the burial have been filed before the Supreme Court.

Duterte said the debate on whether Marcos is a hero may not be resolved for now.

 “In the matter of the medals and heroism of the late Marcos, that is not the issue and that is to be resolved maybe in the generations to come. It could not be decided on the group now which were actively and physically and emotionally involved in the issues that went past,” the president said.

“We can never have a good reading but what I must say now is that we have alienated the entire, almost entire Ilocano peoples. We cannot just do that because we are all Filipinos.”