‘Duterte didn’t belittle Marcos victims’ suffering’

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. Presidential Photo

President Duterte did not intend to denigrate the sufferings of martial law victims when he dismissed the dispute over the burial of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the heroes’ cemetery as just a “fight between two families,” his spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Mr. Duterte merely offered another perspective on the decades-long debate, which the Supreme Court recently put to rest by upholding a presidential order allowing the transfer of the late strongman’s remains at the Libingan Ng Mga Bayani, presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said.

“I doubt that,” Abella replied when asked if the Chief Executive was belittling the sacrifices of the Marcos victims.

“I think, basically, he is highlighting another aspect. From his perspective that…there’s a lot of emotional investment…in the situation,” he told a press briefing.

A family fight

Over dinner with a select group of reporters in Malacañang on Tuesday, the President said the real issue was “between the two families and we were just dragged into it,” referring to the Marcoses and Aquinos. Ex-President Benigno Aquino’s father and namesake was assassinated in 1983 for leading the opposition against the Marcos dictatorship, touching off widespread public anger that snowballed into a “people power” uprising that ousted Marcos three years later.

“They should have passed a law disallowing or denying (Marcos) to be buried in the (Libingan Ng Mga Bayani).  Why didn’t they pass a law telling us that his burial cannot take place? Why didn’t they do it?” he asked.