Andanar sorry for calling protesters against Marcos burial 'temperamental brats'

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar on Monday apologized for using the term "temperamental brats" in his column to describe protesters against the burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Andanar said he only used the term "to express my frustration against those who seek to further divide the country for reasons that have nothing to do with genuine patriotism and civic duty." 

Last week, the Supreme Court dismissed petitions against President Rodrigo Duterte's move to allow the burial of the late dictator at the heroes' cemetery. The decision led to several protest actions across the country, with some urging Duterte to take back his order to allow the burial.

In his column published on Monday in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Andanar called the protesters "temperamental brats refusing to concede to the outcome of regular processes."

"I apologize for the offense this may have caused. It was never my intention to trivialize, diminish, or in any way denigrate the struggles of the survivors of Martial Law and of those who oppose former president Marcos. Neither did I intend it as an affront against the constitutionally guaranteed rights of our people," he wrote in a Facebook post. 

Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, a staunch Duterte ally, told Andanar to "review his history."

“Brats? I don’t think they’re brats. Of course, this is a very emotional issue. But they’re not brats,” Pimentel told reporters when sought for comment. —JST, GMA News