Not necessary for Marcos to be a hero, says Duterte

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte stressed that the law does not prohibit the burial of late President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani or Heroes' Cemetery, whether he was a hero or not.

"The law... does not even mention heroes. It simply says that if you are a soldier, and another section of the law that is the precedent," Duterte said at a press conference in Davao City on Thursday night.

He said that while the cemetery's name bares a qualifier "bayani," it is merely a "generic title" and not all who are buried there are heroes.

"For the years that (Marcos) has rendered his service for the country (he can be buried there), but it does not mean that he's really a hero in the true sense of the word. Hindi naman lahat d'yan (buried at the Libingan mayroong) medal of valor e," Duterte said.

He assumes that while United States records do not bear the listing of military medals or honors for Marcos, he would rather follow Philippine laws allowing presidents or soldiers to be buried at the Taguig City cemetery.

"Wala ba do'n sa record na nanalo siya ng mga medal na ito. And so? Just because of that your name does not appear in the United States? You mean to say that I will follow the United States or what the law says here? Ang sa United States, wala daw siyang recorded do'n na mga medalya. Correct. I will admit that. I will assume it to be true. Pero ipapakita ko, why should we be dependent on the records of the United States," Duterte said.

"I would like to say na forget about the medals. Just focus on whether he's a Filipino, he fought for his country and is once upon a time a president, that's the law," he also said.

Arguments

Duterte also argued that the camp of former President Corazon Aquino could have passed a law prohibiting Marcos' burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

"Alam mo kasi kung ginusto nila, and they were already in power at the time, itong mga yellow, dapat nagpasa sila ng batas na hindi puwede ilibing si Marcos when the guy was already in Guam in exile, they should've passed a law prohibiting Marcos if ever he comes home dead to be buried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani," Duterte said.

A president for 20 years, Marcos declared martial law in 1972. Under military rule, thousands of protesters and dissenters died while scores of other tortured. Human rights groups decried Duterte's order to let Marcos, who died in 1989 in Honolulu, Hawaii and whose remains are kept embalmed in a mausoleum in Batac, be buried at the Heroes' Cemetery.

A regulation by Aquino and her then Armed Forces chief Fidel Ramos states that medal of valor awardees, presidents, military chiefs, defense secretaries, active and retired military personnel, Philippine Revolution veterans, government dignitaries, statesmen and national artists are among those entitled to be interred at the cemetery.

The regulation, however, also bans the interment of personnel dishonorably discharged and others convicted of charges involving moral turpitude.

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said Marcos is unfit to be buried at the cemetery given his "12 cardinal sins," which include his declaration of martial law for his own benefit, plunder of the economy and violations of political, civil, economic and human rights. — Camille Diola with Efigenio Toledo IV