Marcoses still hopeful of hero’s burial for late strongman

By: Matikas Santos - 10 years ago

Senator Ferdinand “Bong-Bong” Marcos Jr. INQUIRER.net file photo

MANILA, Philippines – The family of former president Ferdinand Marcos is still hopeful that President Benigno Aquino III will have a change of heart and allow the burial of the late dictator at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

“We are hoping at any point that something will happen, or there will be a change of mind and the true spirit of reconciliation will finally come through,” Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. told reporters in an interview Monday.

“The position of the family has not changed. It is our continuing belief that, as a soldier who heroically fought against the invaders in the Second World War and as the longest sitting president, it is my father’s right to be buried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani,” he said.

Since he was elected in 2010, Aquino has maintained that the Ferdinand Marcos will not be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Aquino is the son of the late Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. who was a staunch critic of Marcos during the martial law years.

Back in 2011, Vice President Jejomar Binay has recommended to Aquino that Marcos be buried in his hometown of Ilocos Norte and be given full military honors.

“I would like to correct some of the reports saying that we rejected the proposal of Binay. That’s not true,” Senator Marcos said.

“The recommendation made by Binay was made in a conference with us, the family, and so it was rejected by the Palace, not by the Marcos family. That was the proposal that we first came up with but it was not accepted by Malacañang so it did not push through,” he said.