Noy: FM Libingan burial not an issue between Aquinos, Marcoses

MANILA, Philippines – It’s time to hear the stories of the other victims of martial law.

This was how former president Benigno Aquino III explained his silence on the vocal support of President Duterte for the burial of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Speaking before a crowd who gathered at St. Theresa’s College in Quezon City on Friday night, Aquino underscored that the issue surrounding one of the darkest days in the history of the country was never about their family versus the Marcoses.

“I’ve kept quiet about the Marcos burial because I’ve got so many years to say my point and it’s time to hear everybody else’s point,” he said, noting the vocal opposition when Duterte announced his approval for the burial.

“They have shared their own stories,” he said.

Supposedly scheduled this month, the Marcos burial at the heroes’ cemetery was halted by a status quo ante order issued by the Supreme Court, where various oppositions were filed by victims of human rights abuses during the martial law years.

During the gathering, Aquino stressed the importance of keeping a permanent record to prevent attempts of historical revisionism.

“We need permanent records of what actually transpired so if there is an attempt to revise history… (For the younger generation) it’s easy to say na fiction pala, afterwards ‘it never happened’ therefore we don’t have to be vigilant. We’re back to square one,” Aquino said.

The former president, who promised not to comment on the policies of his successor for one year, did not directly address Duterte’s support for Marcos’ burial.

But when asked how he would teach history and martial law to the younger generation, Aquino highlighted the negative effects of the martial law years.

“Our debt was practically non-existent when Marcos went into office… (it) went to P400 million in 1974. When Marcos started (as president), the peso was four to a dollar. By re-election it was P8 to one dollar. He left us at P25 to one,” he added.

Aquino also noted that the communist insurgency, which started with less than a hundred members, grew to over 25,000 armed guerrilla fighters when martial law was lifted.