Libingan ng mga Bayani is for heroes only

Many of us are surprised that President-elect Rodrigo Duterte plans to bury the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani, the place where the heroes of the country are laid to rest. This news was met with much resistance because to bury Marcos alongside other national heroes would be an insult to the thousands who suffered under martial law and are still awaiting justice.

In fact, Duterte’s close ties with the Marcos family are one of the most controversial topics that continue to crop up when the President-elect is asked questions or faces the media. The fact that he is quite close with them is not an issue; the issue is the favor the Marcos family seems to get thanks to their relationship with Duterte. One of the many questionable statements the President-elect gave was that he did not want to give Vice President-elect Leni Robredo a role in the Cabinet because he did not want to offend his friend Bongbong Marcos. While this alone may not seem like a big deal, it begs the question, how much will his friendship with the Marcos family affect his decisions as the president of the country?

That is what many people are wondering. After all, President-elect Duterte doesn’t seem to have issues offending women’s rights groups, other countries, or even the United Nations, yet he worries about offending his friend Bongbong. It’s worrisome to say the least, because the last thing we all want is a president that feels in any way indebted to anyone or any institution, because these feelings can cause a bias in his decisions.

I believe that we all want to support our incoming president and believe that he will make the right decisions to bring the much-awaited change to the country. However, it is hard to turn a blind eye to questionable decisions. He said before that he was not the type to change who he was even if elected, and while having a strong character and backbone is a good thing, it is also important for the president to take into consideration the millions of Filipinos he now represents. He needs the country to be united and not divided.

If I look at his claim that it is important to let go of the pains of the past and move forward so that we can heal, I would admit that it sounds good, but it can’t be something we do just for the sake of doing it. Letting go of the past just because we are left without a choice is not healing it is simply ignoring history. And you know what they say about history – those who don’t learn from it are doomed to repeat it.

I admire the President-elect’s desire to heal a nation divided, but I don’t think burying former dictator Marcos in Libingan ng mga Bayani is the way to take a first step. That is just ignoring history and especially ignoring the voices of all the victims of human rights violations during the martial law era. Plus being a politician that is heavily against corruption like President-elect Duterte claims he is, isn’t it a bit hypocritical of him to ignore some of the biggest corruptions in our history?

I don’t think we can move on from our past simply by choosing to ignore it. Only if we really deal with what happened and those at fault make amends can we truly begin to reach the healing the president is looking for. Until then, he is just choosing to ignore what a large portion of the population feels, including those who supported him.

Admittedly, though many of us did not vote for President-elect Duterte during the recently concluded May elections, I know we appreciate his vow to life simply and honestly and his promise to wipe out crime and drugs in the upcoming six months. It’s going to be hard, but I admire his drive to see it done. His supporters say that if you have done nothing wrong then you have nothing to fear. However, I would be lying if I said I worried about killing criminals without due process. Without the proper provisions in place, how can we be sure that it will only be criminals who will be killed? What is there in place to prevent collateral damage?

I don’t pretend that we don’t have a massive crime, drug, and rape problems. When I see news of people dying because of drugs or rapists roaming free and hurting others, I admit I get mad and want “an eye for an eye” justice. However, where does one draw the line? If I have the freedom to buy a gun and kill someone as a vigilante, what’s to stop someone from doing the same to me or to others?

I wrote in previous columns that I supported the death penalty and that has not changed. After all, crime is so rampant in the country and it seems as if those who would break the law really have nothing to fear. I still think reinstating the death penalty will go a long way in addressing crime in the Philippines, but I do think this must be coupled with fair justice and due process. I can’t say I am onboard with the buying of guns and the gunning down of “drug dealers” without due process. Giving people that much power can easily corrupt them and it won’t be long before these types of extrajudicial killings can easily get out of hand.

To be honest, I don’t envy the task ahead for our President-elect. There is just so much to be done and he is most definitely going to face adversity along the way. As early as now, he is already facing problems with the way his statements and his actions are construed. While, again, it is admirable that he is not putting on a “face” for the press or being something he is not, he must also understand that all of his actions and words will now be put under the magnifying glass. As a representative of the Philippines I truly hope he puts careful consideration into the things he says and does.