Duterte: Marcos burial at Libingan Ng Mga Bayani 'can be arranged immediately'

Incoming president Rodrigo Duterte will make good on his campaign pronouncement to allow the burial of the late former president Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan Ng Mga Bayani.

Since his death in 1989, the dictator's burial at the heroes' cemetery had been met with opposition because of abuses committed during the Martial Law regime.

But Duterte, in a press conference on Tuesday, said that Marcos should be buried at the cemetery because he had served as a soldier.

"I will allow Marcos burial in Libingan Ng Mga Bayani, not because he was a hero but because he was a Filipino soldier," said Duterte.

When asked about the timeline of the burial, Duterte replied: "That can be arranged immediately." 

But he added that he does not mind holding the burial on Marcos’ anniversary on September 11.

He said that denying Marcos a place at the Libingan Ng Mga Bayani has created division in the country.

“Iyang issue ni Marcos diyan sa Libingan Ng Mga Bayani has long created a division amongst our people. Almost all of the Ilokanos, naghihinakit talaga. Lahat. Halos lahat, mga Ilokano, galit kung bakit ganoon ang ginawa sa kanya,” he said.

“Sundalo iyan. Huwag na iyong hero hero. Huwag mong sabihin na lahat na namatay diyan sa Libingan Ng Mga Bayani, hero? Iba diyan retired eh,” Duterte added.

Asked if the decision will unite Filipinos, the incoming President said he does not know.

“I am sure I would erase amongst our people one hatred,” he said.

When asked about the reaction of victims of human rights violation and their families during the Martial Law, Duterte replied that there are compensations in place for them to collect.

“Wala iyan. Nandiyan na iyong kwan — kubrahin n’yo iyong pera,” he said. 

Embalmed body

Marcos fled to Hawaii in 1986 following a popular revolt. He had ruled the Philippines for 20 years, during which time his family amassed an estimated $10 billion.

He died in exile in 1989 and his embalmed body is currently on display in a mausoleum in his hometown in the northern Philippines.

The government has recovered less than $5 billion in cash, stocks, real estate, artworks and jewellery from the Marcoses and their cronies.

Past governments have refused to allow Marcos' family to bury him at the heroes' cemetery, amid opposition from tens of thousands of Filipinos, including the victims of human rights abuses under his rule and their families.

Marcos' son and namesake ran for vice president and was trailing by 200,000 to 300,000 votes in an unofficial vote count to administration candidate Leni Robredo, a congresswoman from the central Philippines.

Earl Parreno, analyst at the Institute of Political and Electoral Reforms, said Duterte's decision to bury Marcos at the heroes' cemetery would be divisive.

"It's a wrong move to spend political capital this early when he should be consolidating support," he told Reuters, adding the decision could fuel protests. —JST, GMA News