Army ordered to give military honors to late dictator Marcos

The Army will give military honors to the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos when his remains are interred at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, Army spokesman Colonel Benjamin Hao said on Friday.

Hao said the Army had been ordered to provide all necessary military honors to the former president.

The order was contained in a directive, dated August 9, signed by Rear Admiral Ernesto Enriquez, the Armed Forces of the Philippines Deputy Chief of Staff for Reservist and Retiree Affairs.

It was upon the command of AFP Chief of Staff General Ricardo R Visaya.

The Army was also ordered to provide vigil, a bugler and a drummer, a firing party, military host/pallbearers, escort and transportation, and arrival and departure honors.

Hao said the Army had designated a protocol officer to coordinate with the Marcos family as regards the details of the burial plan.

“May protocol officer na nag nakikipag-coordinate sa pamilya. Hopefully by Monday makapagreport na sa amin at malaman na namin ang detalye sa libing,” he said in an interview with reporters.

He said the Marcos family should inform the Army of their requests.

“Pwede silang magrequest basta magbigay sila ng list of visitors kasi kami ang magpe-prepare and magpo-provide ng chairs and tents,” Hao said.

Campaign promise

President Rodrigo Duterte has made good his campaign promise to allow Marcos' burial at the heroes' cemetery.

Addressing critics on Thursday night, Duterte said Marcos' interment at  the Libingan ng mga Bayani "doesn't mean he's a hero in the true sense of the word."

He added that the law allows former soldiers and presidents to be buried there.

Duterte added he would be violating the law if he didn't allow Marcos to be interred at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

He said he didn't care about the issue of whether Marcos had fake war medals or that the former president's World War II service did not appear in United States records.

Duterte also laid the blame on the past Aquino administrations for not revising the law.

"Dapat nagpasa sila ng batas na hindi pwedeng ilibing si Marcos," said Duterte.

The late former Corazon Aquino was installed via the 1986 People Power Revolution that ended the Marcos dictatorship. Her son Benigno Aquino III, meanwhile, was president from 2010 to 2016.

Corazon Aquino's husband Benigno Aquino Jr., a staunch Marcos opponent, was slain in 1983 upon his return from exile to the Philippines, sparking widespread protests against the dictatorship. —NB, GMA News