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Palace: Duterte firm on Marcos hero’s burial
President Rodrigo Duterte will not be “distracted” by protests against the scheduled burial of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, Malacañang said Sunday.
In a statement, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said President Duterte's stand on the Marcos' burial remains the same despite the protest organized in Luneta against the issue.
“The President has repeatedly said that he would allow any form of protest, like organizing mass actions against the FM [Ferdinand Marcos] burial at the LNMB [Libingan ng mga Bayani]. This is consistent with his philosophy that criticism, good or bad, true or not, is part of the territory of governance in public,” Andanar said.
“The President’s stance, however, remains firm: There is clarity in the regulations governing the late President Marcos burial,” he added.
“The President shall therefore remain [not distracted] and it shall be governance as usual with his full and undivided attention in winning the war against drugs, criminality and corruption,” the Palace official said.
Duterte had earlier insisted on his decision to fulfill his campaign promise of a hero's burial for Marcos, on the basis of Marcos being a former president.
"Because he was a president, period. Because it is [for] presidents and soldiers... Sige lang kayo atake kay Marcos...," Duterte earlier said.
Among those who came were former Senator Wigberto Tañada, former Commission on Human Rights chairman Etta Rosales, former Interior Sec. Manuel Roxas II, Senators Risa Hontiveros and Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, and Reps. Edcel Lagman (Albay) and Teddy Baguilat (Ifugao).
Protest actions were also held in Davao, Cebu, and Baguio, a Balitanghali report said.
Martial Law victims, led by the Samahan ng Mga Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (SELDA), on Saturday said they will ask the Supreme Court to block Marcos' burial. — Kathrina Charmaine Alvarez/LBG, GMA News
