HAIL ‘APO’ The statue of strongman Ferdinand Marcos in Sarrat town, Ilocos Norte province. EV ESPIRITU / Inquirer Northern Luzon
President Rodrigo Duterte defended anew on Friday his decision, upheld by a 9-5 vote by the Supreme Court, to allow the burial of former president Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
“Itong ngayong kay (Now in the case of) President Marcos, (is) simply what [the law is]. The law is the law. It has no emotions at all,” he said in a speech at the launch of the Pilipinong May Puso in Davao City on Friday night.
Duterte reiterated that the law allows a hero’s burial for Marcos.
READ: Duterte stands firm on Marcos burial at Libingan ng mga Bayani
“It says that if you are a President (you can be buried there), and does not say you have a record of dictatorship or whatnot or being a gentle despot, walang sinabi (there is no mention of that). The law says if you are a soldier you are qualified to be there. And if you are the President, you are supposed to be there if you want to,” he said.
Duterte then said that when his time comes, he wants to be cremated and be buried beside his mother.
“Kaya nauna na ako (That’s why I am declaring this ahead) to obviate possible wrangling. If I die tomorrow, I want my whatever remains [to be burned],” he said.
“Let us make the record straight, burn me immediately and place it, my ashes beside my mother’s urn. So wala kayong problema kung mamatay ako, kung mailibing man ako agad o hindi (So you will have no problem what to do with my remains—whether you bury it immediately or not),” he added.
READ: Duterte wants to be buried beside his parents
In its decision announced on Tuesday, the Supreme Court favored the decision of Duterte to allow the burial of Marcos at the heroes’ cemetery in Taguig City, dismissing several petitions against it.
The burial of the late strongman at the heroes’ cemetery was a campaign promise of Duterte, saying this was a step to achieve unity and healing for the country.
In his public speeches, the President has repeatedly said that the Marcoses are his good friends even saying that Gov. Imee Marcos helped him during the campaign period.
In a text message to INQUIRER.net on Saturday, Jun Arvin Gudoy, head of the communications and media office of the Ilocos Norte provincial government, said the Marcos family received the Supreme Court decision only on Friday at 11:28 a.m.
Gudoy said there was no final date yet for the burial.
He added the Marcos family had yet to talk to their lawyers. IDL