Palace on Marcos burial: Bury issue and let’s move forward

Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella —MALACAÑANG PHOTO

Malacañang hopes that the issue surrounding former President Ferdinand Marcos’ burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB) will be “laid to rest” with the recent Supreme Court (SC) ruling that affirmed their 2016 decision.

“We hope the matter on the FM (Ferdinand Marcos) Libigan ng mga Bayani will be finally laid to rest and that the country will move forward as one united nation,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement on Tuesday.

During their Tuesday’s en banc (full court), the SC, voting 10-5, reiterated its Nov. 8 decision that allowed the Marcos burial at the LNMB and dismissed the motions for reconsideration previously filed by former Bayan Muna Representative Satur Ocampo and Albay Representative Edcel Lagman.

The justices who affirmed the decision were Associate Justices Presbitero Velasco Jr., Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Mariano del Castillo, Teresita de Castro, Jose Mendoza, Estela Perlas-Bernabe, Samuel Martires, Noel Tijam and Andres Reyes Jr.

The five justices included Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, together with Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, and Associate Justices Marvic Leonen, Francis Jardaleza, and Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa.

READ: Marcos to remain buried at Libingan, SC rules with finality

In their 2016 decision, the SC declared that President Rodrigo Duterte was only following the 1987 Constitution and that Marcos, being a “former president and commander-in-chief, a legislator, secretary of national defense, a military personnel, a veteran, and a Medal of Valor awardee,” has the necessary qualifications to be buried at LNMB.

READ: SC OKs Marcos burial at Libingan

Abella said that the Palace acknowledged the decision of SC, being the “final arbiter of all legal questions.” Airei Kim Guanga / INQUIRER.net trainee / JPV