MANILA, Philippines – Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. sounded amenable to the idea of his father, the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos, being buried in Ilocos Norte with full military honors.
“It would seem to be a reasonable compromise. That’s a good compromise,” said Marcos, who acknowledged that this was among the options raised and did not express surprise at Vice President Jejomar Binay’s recommendation.
While it had pushed for the late President’s burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani all these years, the Marcos family was agreeable to a compromise, the senator said.
“We don’t want to create problems. We would just like to bury our father in a way that he deserved,” he said in an interview.
After Binay was tasked by President Benigno Aquino III to study the matter, the senator and his sister, Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos, met with the vice president to present their thoughts on the matter.
Marcos said that the burial of his father, who ruled with an iron fist for 14 years, should be seen as an opportunity for unification of the country.
He said that the family has not changed its position that it was Marcos’ right to be buried in the Libingan “as a former president, as a former soldier, as a bemedalled soldier.”
The Marcoses revived their appeal to have Marcos buried at the Libingan among former leaders and soldiers after Angelo Reyes, a former defense secretary and Armed Forces chief, was buried there in February.
The family, including former first lady and now Ilocos Norte Representative Imelda Marcos and Irene Marcos-Araneta, would likely meet this weekend to discuss Binay’s recommendation, Marcos said.
The senator said that they would just “wait for the President” to decide, and take it from there.
“Let’s see where it takes us,” he said, admitting that there was no “cut and dried’’ procedure on the matter.
“I don’t know how much room there is to negotiate. As a matter of fact we only learned about this from you.”
And what if President Aquino sustains Binay’s recommendation? Marcos said: “Then we will carry on and plan.” He said, however, that it was premature to say how the family would deal with the President’s response.
Senator Gregorio Honasan II, a key player in the People Power Revolution that ousted Marcos in February 1986, said Binay’s “judgment call” should put the issue to rest.
“That is a judgment call on the part of the vice president who has consolidated data that will reflect a consensus among Filipinos. I suppose this consensus serves a purpose to induce political unity. That is a judgment call of the vice president. We can’t question that,” he said on the phone.
This, he added, should be the last word on the long-pestering issue.
“That’s the end of it. It’s supposed to, unless those who want to prolong this issue will not let go of the issue. A decision has been made by the official tasked primarily to make the recommendation, and it should be respected,” he said.
Senator Franklin Drilon agreed with the recommendation to bury Marcos in Ilocos Norte, but declined comment on the military honors.
“He should be buried. I don’t know the rules on military honors. I don’t want to comment on that. The fact that he is considered a leader and loved by Ilocanos, he’s entitled to a decent burial,” he said on the phone.