As various groups prepare massive street protests against the burial of the late President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday he would allow them to stay in public places for as long as they would want – even without securing permits from local officials.
He also said he would order the military to stay in their barracks during the protests. But a lean number of police and traffic personnel would be on hand.
While noting plans to greet his return from Peru and New Zealand with rallies, Duterte continued to stand pat on his position to allow Marcos to be laid to rest at Libingan ng mga Bayani, even chiding protesters.
He said he would step down from office if they could show that Marcos had not been a president or a soldier – among the qualifications for being allowed burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
“To all the protest organizations, let me throw this simple proposition to you. I will gladly, and happy even to step down and relinquish my post, if you can answer in the negative these two key questions: Was the late President Marcos a president, and was he a soldier?” he said in his speech shortly after arriving at the Davao International Airport from his trips to Peru and New Zealand.
He said Marcos was permitted to be buried at the heroes’ cemetery because he was a former president and soldier, and the law allows this. /atm