Marcos: Hero’s burial not payback from Duterte
Former Senator Ferdinand Marcos on Tuesday maintained that his family only gave political support to President Rodrigo Duterte when he ran in the May 2016 national elections, denying reports that his sister Imee Marcos was a campaign donor.
“We have been supportive of him from the beginning and we have been supportive of his presidency,” Marcos said in an interview at the Supreme Court grounds.
“And I think if there was any assistance given to then candidate Duterte, it was in the form of political endorsement. It is a form of political support,” he added.
The younger Marcos, who lost to Leni Robredo in the vice presidential race, said that “it is a natural part of the campaign. I don’t think it is unusual in any way,”
He arrived at the Supreme Court to thank the supporters of his family who staged an overnight vigil as they waited for a decision.
But the high court on Tuesday extended the status quo ante ordering the temporary stopping of the late dictator’s burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
No payback
Marcos stressed that his father’s burial at the heroes’ cemetery was not a payback from President Duterte who made it his campaign promise, saying it would unite the country.
Petitioners who sought the stopping of Marcos burial tagged Duterte’s move as “bayad utang” or payback for the support the Marcoses gave to then Davao City mayor.
“Wala akong alam sa campaign fund. Kung maalala ninyo, kandidato rin ako. At kami ay a-ano ng campaign fund. Hindi kami namimigay,” Marcos insisted.
(I don’t know about the campaign fund. As you know I was also a candidate. We [raised] campaign funds and did not donate.)
Their family supported the President because they believed in his capacity to uplift the lives of the Filipinos, he said.
“I do not think the President makes his judgments that way. I think he makes his judgments as I think you already know, based on law. He’s very much a lawyer and he very much bases his decisions and positions on law,” he said. TVJ/rga
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