Hundreds protest hero’s burial for Philippine dictator

Duterte said burying Marcos at the Libingan Ng Mga Bayani (Heroes’ Cemetery) would heal political divisions and honor Marcos as a World War II veteran.

Hundreds of Filipinos rallied in stormy weather to protest against President Rodrigo Duterte for approving the burial of dictator Ferdinand Marcos in a heroes’ cemetery.

The protesters will launch a signature petition next month in attempt to stop the burial from going ahead.

A coalition of groups opposed to the plan said Tuesday that Marcos was a plunderer who ordered the torture and deaths of thousands of his critics. “Is that not enough evidence?” She called Mr Marcos an “unrepentant enemy of our heroes”. Rosales asked. The crowd responded: “No!”

Senator Risa Hontiveros told CNN that she had proposed a vote on the burial, which Duterte has said he will carry through unilaterally – he is planning a burial ceremony on September 18.

Mr. Duterte says that being a former soldier, Marcos should be buried along with the more than 45,000 soldiers interred at the Libingan. “To honour the man [as] a hero and bury his remains in a place reserved for the fearless and martyred is an inimical political abomination”.

Fidel Ramos’ remarks appeared to contradict the controversial decision of firebrand leader Rodrigo Duterte to allow Marcos, who has been accused of massive corruption and human rights abuses, to be buried in the Heroes Cemetery despite a widespread outcry.

Marcos’s family have kept his preserved body on display after he died in exile in 1989 following a popular revolt three years earlier, demanding that it be buried with full honours in the Heroes’ Cemetery.

His remains were later returned to his hometown and have been displayed in a glass coffin. His wife, Imelda, and two of three children gradually regained political influence after being elected to public office.

Whenever the burial became a point of debate in the Philippines, MPM members organized rallies and expressed their desire for reunification in the aftermath of martial law and the 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution that ousted Marcos.

Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said yesterday that Mr Duterte remains “firm” on his stance regarding the burial, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported.

Martial Law victims intend to ask the Supreme Court to stop the burial of President Ferdinand E. Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City.

Duterte has defended his decision, saying he should be buried at the National Heroes’ Cemetery because he “was a Filipino soldier”.

Deputy Speakers Mercedes Alvarez (Negros Occidental) and Fredenil Castro (Capiz) stressed that the law is clearly on the side of the Marcos family because the late strongman was a soldier and a president. “We are concerned by reports regarding extrajudicial killings of individuals suspected to have been involved in drug activity in the Philippines”, it said.

“We do not condone any unlawful killings and Philippine authorities have been instructed to immediately look into these incidents and bring the perpetrators to justice”, the Philippine police said on Friday.