Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA
Malacañang on Friday said it would respect the decision of the Supreme Court should it favor a petition to stop the burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
“We will respect any decision of the high court. We will always be respective,” Presidential Chief Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo told reporters in an interview, saying the government would welcome any petition of the public to oppose Marcos’ burial.
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But Panelo said the law was very clear that Marcos was qualified to be buried at the heroes’ cemetery.
“(We) welcome if people file petition in court but the law is very clear,” he said.
Panelo earlier said the late strongman was qualified to be buried at the heroes’ cemetery both as a former President and as a soldier.
In his earlier statements, the Palace official said it would oppose any legal move to stop a hero’s burial for Marcos.
“The regulation issued by the Armed Forces of the Philippines is very clear: those who are entitled to be interred in the Libingan ng mga Bayani are, among others, soldiers and presidents, so on the basis of that the late President Marcos is entitled to be buried there,” he said.
“It does not distinguish whether a President is good, bad, handsome or ugly. If you’re a President, you’re entitled to be buried there,” he added. RAM/rga
READ: Panelo: All Presidents—good or bad—may be buried at Libingan