MANILA, Philippines — In case you haven’t heard about it, the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos has been honored with a national stamp by the Philippine Postal Corp. to commemorate the dictator whose regime was marred by human rights abuses and corruption.
The commemorative stamps, which bore the portrait and signature of Marcos, were issued last Sept. 11, 2017—the day of the ex-leader's 100th birthday anniversary.
Sold for P12 each, the stamps, which were designed by Victorino Serevo, will be available until Sept. 10, 2018, Philpost said on its website.
According to assistant post master Luis Carlos, the release of the national stamps had no political implication, adding that the postal agency had also issued stamps in the past to commemorate the birth centenary of previous presidents.
"We are just following the guidelines. The presidents who have birth centenaries have stamps issued," Carlos was quoted as saying in a report by Agence France-Presse.
Accused of committing massive human rights abuses and stealing billions of dollars from state coffers, Marcos was ousted by a bloodless “People Power Revolution” in 1986.
Despite the death of the strongman in exile in Hawaii in 1989, his family has been making a political comeback with his widow, Imelda, and their children getting elected to office.
Last year, President Rodrigo Duterte, an ally of the political clan, granted the longstanding wish of the Marcos family to bury the Marcos patriarch at the Libingan in a surprise ceremony.
READ: Marcos buried at Libingan in 'surprise' ceremony l Hero's burial for Marcos: How did we get here?
He also declared September 11 a special non-working day in Ilocos Norte upon the family's request.
READ: Duterte defends declaring Marcos' birthday a holiday