Protesters gather at Luneta to oppose Marcos hero’s burial

Published August 14, 2016 10:52am
Updated August 14, 2016 2:42pm

Despite the monsoon rains, several groups on Sunday gathered at Rizal Park in Manila to protest the scheduled burial of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

The police's initial crowd estimate at the Luneta Park was 1,000.

Photos shared by radio dzBB's Twitter account showed people lining up to sign a freedom wall in protest of the hero's burial for Marcos.

PHOTOS: Sitwasyon sa Luneta kung saan nagsasagawa ng protesta ang ilang grupo. pic.twitter.com/I6ySXNOzGC
— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) August 14, 2016

PHOTOS: Sitwasyon sa Luneta kung saan nagsasagawa ng protesta ang ilang grupo. pic.twitter.com/980B2z6bjW
— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) August 14, 2016

PHOTOS: Sitwasyon sa Luneta kung saan nagsasagawa ng protesta ang ilang grupo. pic.twitter.com/oRORPO9sQ1
— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) August 14, 2016

The protest action pushed through amid the non-stop heavy rains in Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon caused by the enhanced southwest monsoon.

Addressing the crowd, former Senator Wigberto Tañada urged President Rodrigo Duterte to withdraw his promise to have Marcos buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

“Pangulong Duterte, 'yan pong inyong kapasyahang yan ay hindi tama, yan ay mali. Hindi sang-ayon, alinsunod sa batas kaugnay sa usaping ito. Hindi ba ninyo nakikita 'yan?” he said.

“Para sa atin maliwanag, 'yan ay para sa mga bayani lamang. Hindi naman siya bayani kaya wala siyang karapatan na mailibang diyan. Hind naman siya masasabing bayaning sundalo. So ano ang pinagtatalunan natin?” Tañada added.

Duterte had already ordered Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to tell the Armed Forces of the Philippines to undertake necessary preparations for the hero's burial of the late strongman.

Standing firm on his decision, Duterte argued that Marcos, as a former president, should be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Also present at the rally were former Commission on Human Rights commissioner Etta Rosales, Senators Risa Hontiveros and Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, and Reps. Edcel Lagman (Albay) and Teddy Baguilat, Jr. (Ifugao).

In her speech, Hontiveros promised to push the passage of his resolution seeking to stop the hero's burial of Marcos.

"Sa amin naman sa Senado, sisikapin namin na ipasa ang aking resolusyon na humaharang sa pagbibigay ng hero's burial kay Marcos. Buo ang aking tiwala na maipapasa namin ito," she said.

A similar resolution was also filed at the House of Representatives by members of the Makabayan bloc.

In her resolution, Hontiveros said Marcos is unfit for a hero's burial.

She said Marcos' human rights abuses during Martial Law is reason enough to disqualify the late strongman "from being remembered in history as a hero." —Kathrina Charmaine Alvarez/ALG, GMA News

Tags: marcosburial, lunetapark, antimarcos