Manny Pacquiao delivers his first privilage speech concerning the reimposition of the death penalty at the Senate floor on Monday, August 8, 2016. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
INVOKING again the name of God, Senator Manny Pacquiao on Monday sought forgiveness of the “sins” of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos and urged Filipinos to allow him to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
“Kahit gaano kasama ang isang tao, ang pinakaimportante dyan …magkaroon tayo ng forgiveness. Let our good Lord to judge everything siguro,” said Pacquiao who is pushing for the restoration of death penalty on drug cases.
READ: Manny explains death by hanging: ‘Sisipain lang po yung upuan’
“Huwag tayong magalit kung ano man ang nagawa nya. Kailangan may forgiveness tayo kasi pag wala tayong forgiveness, wala tayong pagpapatawad sa puso natin hindi tayo maka-move on,” he added.
Pacquiao said the people should not forget the many good things Marcos had done for the country.
Asked about the alleged human rights violations committed during the Marcos regime, the senator said: “Kino-consider naman natin yun pero alin ang mas nauna, yung pagka-elect nya as President o yung martial law?”
To once and for all end the issue, Senator Panfilo Lacson said it would be better if Marcos would be buried at the heroes’ cemetery and just “exhume” his remains if strong opposition pops up later.
“Kung halimbawang malakas ang opposition later on at hindi matahimik, e di exhume,” Lacson said in a separate interview with reporters.
“Ganoon kasimple yan. Para matapos din. Ako dahil former president, former soldier, bakit hindi? Entitled naman siya doon,” he said.
Lacson reiterated that as long as a person was a former soldier or former head of state, it doesn’t matter anymore if he was a hero or not.
And to avoid any confusion, the cemetery could also be renamed so it would not be taken literally that only heroes could be buried there.
While he agreed that Marcos could be buried at the heroes’ cemetery, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said there were “larger political implications” that should be considered.
“It’s an issue that we don’t need right now. In fact, President Duterte doesn’t need it pero parang pinalalabas nya that he can impose his will by virtue of popularity and whimsical minsan. For his own good, kung ako sa kanya, he should step back dahil hindi talaga e,” Trillanes said.
“He can test kung hanggang saan ito aabot pero sa akin, he doesn’t need it. He doesn’t need to test and waste political capital at this point , at this early sa kanyang administration. Sya rin ang mamo-mroblema dito,” he added./rga
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