“I will allow the burial of President Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani not because he is a hero. He was a Filipino soldier, period. That can be arranged immediately,” President-elect Rodrigo Duterte said last June 11.
And now, the time has come.
The date is set and preparations are on the way for the burial of the late president and dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. at Libingan ng mga Bayani on Sep 18.
The Marcos family has chosen Sep 18 instead of their patriarch’s birthday (Sep 11) to have more reasons to celebrate.
“We want another day to celebrate, and not only on his birth or death anniversary,” said former senator Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.
According to a report from the Philippine Star, the younger Marcos said Duterte has given the approval for controversial burial when they met a few days ago.
“My sister Imee is taking care of the rites in Ilocos because Ilocanos would get angry at us if they would not be able to pay their last respects to him. We’ll bring him first to Sarrat, then to Paoay, before taking him by plane for the burial here at Libingan,” said Bongbong.
Full military honors are being arranged for the burial, which includes a 21-gun salute and a “horse-ridden funeral cortege.” All these preparations despite the numerous denouncement of Marcos’ claims about being a soldier.
Duterte’s approval of the burial came despite resounding criticisms and calls for justice from concerned individuals and organizations, citing the late dictator’s human rights violations during the Martial Law era.
These facts do not matter, however, as Duterte pointed out how much Marcos deserves to be buried in the midst of selfless heroes.
“Ang ganda ng patakbo niya, even in Mindanao, nasira lang ng asawa,” Duterte was quoted in the same Star report.
(He ran the country well, even in Mindanao, his wife just ruined it.)
President Duterte was referring to Marcos’ wife, Imelda Romualdez-Marcos.
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