Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Monday scored Vice President Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo for expressing disappointment with the police for coordinating secretly with the Marcos family for the burial of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani last Friday.
Robredo, a staunch critic of Marcos for the atrocities committed during his dictatorial regime, said she found it disturbing that the sneaky burial happened in coordination with the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for the logistical arrangement and deployment of personnel for the burial.
READ: ‘From hidden wealth to hidden burial: Marcoses disrespecting law’—Leni
She said this shows that the judicial process has been thoroughly disregarded. The decision of the Supreme Court to allow the burial has yet to become final and executory until 15 days since its release.
Dela Rosa, in a press conference at Camp Crame, defended the police for their participation in the controversial burial, stressing that they are not concerned about the politics behind the ceremony, only the safety of the public, including that of the Marcos family.
READ: Marcos laid to rest in ‘sneaky’ rites at Libingan ng mga Bayani
“Paano ‘yan kung hindi nag-react ang PNP sa request ng pamilya na tumulong mag-secure tapos magkakaroon ng rally, maraming nasaktan. Anong sasabihin niya (Robredo) (What if the PNP didn’t respond to the request of the Marcos family to help secure the area then a rally erupted and many were hurt? What would she say)? (She’s) very much disappointed with the PNP for not preparing accordingly sa libing na ’yon (in that burial)?” Dela Rosa said.
“Anong mangyayari sa PNP niyan? Sala sa init, sala sa lamig. Kung hindi kami nag-prepare sasabihin naman balatuba ‘tong mga pulis. Ililibing si Marcos, hindi nag-prepare? So saan kami pupunta ngayon? Kawawa ang pulis natin, bahala sila (What would happen to the PNP? It would be neither here nor there. If we didn’t prepare for it, they would say that the police were lazy. Marcos would be buried, yet we didn’t prepare? Where should we place ourselves? Our police are pitiful, Let them be),” he said.
The police chief said the PNP does not care where, when and how the late strongman will be buried. He said the police will only fulfill their duty to secure the Marcos family and ensure peace and order in the ceremony.
“Kami wala kaming pakialam kung ilibing si Marcos o hindi—kung saan siya ililibing, kailan, paano siya ililibing. Basta sa amin lang, kapag may gulo dapat andyan kami to respond to gulo. ‘Yan po ang aming papel (We don’t care if Marcos would be buried or not—where, when or how he would be buried. We are only concerned about responding to the disorder. That’s our duty),” he said.
“Hindi kami kasama sa plano kung saan siya lilibing. Hindi sa amin ‘yang Libingan. Ang importante nandyan kami kasi kung inatake ng mga militante ‘yung mga Marcos loyalists na nakipaglibing at ‘yung pamilya, kawawa naman ‘yung pulis hindi nag-deploy tapos maraming nangyari (We were not included in the plan where he would be buried. We don’t control the Libingan. What’s important was we were there because if the militants attacked the Marcos family and their loyalists who went there, the police would be pitiful if we didn’t deploy and there was disorder),” he added./rga