Makabayan solons won’t break away from Duterte over Marcos burial

Members of the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives  on Monday said they would not break away from their alliance with President Rodrigo Duterte although the latter supported the burial of the dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

The lawmakers made the statement following calls for them to break away from the majority coalition supportive of the Duterte administration.

In a statement, Anakpawis Rep. Ariel Casilao said the alliance with the President remains intact amid mounting protests on Duterte’s position on the Marcos burial issue.

READ: Militant solon backs ‘principled alliance’ with Duterte

He expressed hopes that Duterte would change his mind about Marcos’ burial amid the protests.

“We firmly believe that the key for the president to change his mind from favoring the Marcos family, is the flooding of streets by the people’s protest demanding a stop to revision of history, particularly, the atrocities of Marcos during martial law and the deprivation of long overdue justice for the victims,” Casilao said.

For her part, Gabriela Rep. Emmi De Jesus said the militant women’s party “is still in support of the pro-people and patriotic state programs and pronouncements of President Duterte and specific Cabinet members.”

De Jesus said the party-list is standing by its criticisms on Duterte’s “policies and actions that work towards rehabilitating Marcos’ tyrannical rule and restoring anti-democratic governance.

But despite this, “our membership in the majority coalition in Congress is standing,” De Jesus said.

READ: Marcos laid to rest in ‘sneaky’ rites at Libingan ng mga Bayani 

De Jesus called on the public to join the group in the massive Nov. 25 protest action against the dictator’s burial that was secretly held by the Marcos family last Friday.

Calls for militant members to break away from the alliance with the administration started when former Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo said the Left would rethink its alliance with Duterte after the administration allowed Marcos to be buried at the heroes’ cemetery even though the Supreme Court decision allowing it was not yet final and executory.

READ: Leftists rethink alliance with Duterte over Marcos burial 

“If the influence of the Marcoses is too big on the President that it affects his pro-people commitment, then we will have to consider our tactical alliance,” Ocampo earlier said.

“If the President is clearly trying to revive the concept of ‘Bagong Lipunan,’ it might spell a separation,” he added.

READ: Leftists Taguiwalo, Maza won’t resign from Cabinet

To align with the Left, Duterte appointed members of militant groups to his Cabinet—Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo, National Anti-Poverty Commission Secretary Liza Maza, Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano, and Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor chairperson Terry Ridon.

Both Taguiwalo and Maza have said they do not need to resign from the Cabinet despite their position against Marcos’ burial.

Taguiwalo, who was imprisoned and tortured during the brutal two-decade regime, said Duterte knew of her position on Marcos even before he appointed her to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

The Left also aligned with the administration since the government resumed peace talks with the communist-led National Democratic Front, even while Duterte also supported the request of the Marcos family to give a hero’s burial to the dictator.

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