Duterte allies in Senate oppose Marcos burial at Libingan

President Rodrigo Duterte. SIMEON CELI/PPD

Even President Rodrigo Duterte’s allies in the Senate were against his decision to allow the burial of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, one saying a dictator should not be buried at the heroes’ cemetery.

READ: Duterte gives go-ahead for Marcos burial at Libingan

“If I were President, I would not allow it,” Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III told reporters on Monday.

“I don’t consider him a hero. Hindi ako presidente po (I’m not the president) so we will respect the decision of the President,” said Pimentel, president of PDP-Laban, which is now being chaired by Duterte.

He said the Marcos’ burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani had been a “sensitive, controversial and divisive” issue for the party even before it decided to endorse the presidential bid of Duterte during the last May elections.

Pimentel said the party was split on the issue but later decided that members should vote on it based on their conscience.

And as part of the party, he said Duterte was allowed to use his conscience to make the decision.

“And he’s our President, he makes the decision and he has made the decision. We will respect the decision of the President,” he stressed.

Duterte’s running mate during the campaign, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano said he was against burying a “dictator” at the heroes’ cemetery.

“I see the point (of the) President na kung (that considering) completely legal issue he’s entitled to it, pag binasa mo yung legal pero yung pangalan kasi na libingan (when you read the legal [aspect] but the name of the cemetery), Libingan ng mga Bayani (heroes’ cemetery) and we don’t consider him (Marcos)—he had heroic moments during his life but we don’t consider in totality heroic because of the things that happened to martial law,” Cayetano said in a separate interview.

“Unless palitan natin yung pangalan sa Libingan ng mga Bayani at Dikatador e di baka mawalan na ng problema (we change the name of heroes’ cemetery to dictator, there might not be a problem),” the senator added.

Senators Franklin Drilon, Leila de Lima and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan also expressed their strong objections to giving Marcos a hero’s burial.

“Sa akin (For me), at this point in our political and social life, the burial of Marcos is a very divisive issue. It should not be done,” Drilon said.

Until Marcos’ body is buried at the cemetery, Pangilinan said the President could still change his mind.

“Sana po magbago isip niya (I hope the President would change his mind),” he said.

But if Duterte would not change his decision, then Pangilinan said the issue could be raised in courts because there is a law, he said, which clearly stated that there had been gross violation of human rights during the time of Marcos.

“Kaya nga po sila ay bibigyan ng compensation. Parang taliwas ho sa batas na iyon (That’s why the victims would be given compensation. It seems contrary to the law) because this law, and if I may quote, “the state hereby acknowledges its moral and legal obligation to recognize and or provide reparation to victims and their families as well as yung mga injuries na natamo nila (the injuries they sustained),’” he said,

“Taliwas po yung pasiya na iyan dito sa batas na ito (The decision is contrary to this law) so we can make a legal argument against the burial of the former President dito sa Libingan ng mga Bayani,” Pangilinan said.

De Lima also said earlier that human rights victims during the Marcos regime and their families could file an “injunctive class suit” against the burial.

READ: Palace: Nothing set on Marcos burial

She expressed hope that the President would reconsider his decision. RAM/rga

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