Gov’t to spend only for military honors at Marcos burial

The government will not be spending a single centavo for the hero’s burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos, except for the military honors.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the government’s concern would only be the military honors.

“Ang gastos lang natin ay ‘yung (military) honors (Our only expenditure will be the military honors). There will be no money spent on transportation of the cadaver. Sa kanila (Marcos family) ‘yon,” Lorenzana said in a chance interview on Monday at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

President Rodrigo Duterte had earlier ordered the Department of National Defense (DND) to facilitate the burial of Marcos.

Despite criticisms from human rights groups, the President insisted that Marcos should be buried at the heroes’ cemetery as a soldier and a former President.

The Chief Executive earlier said that the issue of whether Marcos was a hero or not was merely political.

READ: Hero or not, Marcos may be buried at ‘Libingan’, Duterte insists

“They are contesting if Marcos is a hero. I do not care. Whether he is a hero or not, if he is a soldier, he should be buried there. The issue about his heroism is political,” he said in a news briefing in Davao City.

The Marcos burial is reportedly scheduled for September 18.

The Supreme Court, however, issued on August 23 a 20-day status quo order. JE/rga

READ: SC halts preparations for Marcos’ burial at Libingan