Justice De Castro: Libingan ng mga Bayani mainly a cemetery for soldiers

An Associate Justice of the Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday pointed out that not all those buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB) were heroes but were mostly soldiers and war veterans.

“If you will look at the persons or the deceased persons who can be interred at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, it is mostly those who has connection with military establishments," SC Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo-De Castro said.

"And it is only later on that persons with no military background were buried there, like national artists and statesmen,” he added.

The SC was holding oral arguments on consolidated petitions opposing the government’s plan to bury former president and late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. at the LNMB.

During her turn to interpellate Bayan Muna Representatives Neri Colmenares, one of the representatives of the petitioners, De Castro pointed out that based on the previous proclamations of late former Presidents Ramon Magsaysay, Carlos P. Garcia and Marcos, it was declared that the Libingan ng mga Bayani is for soldiers who died or rendered service for the country.

“So it would seem, that this Libingan ng mga Bayani is simply a cemetery for those who died during the war or those who rendered service in the military establishment,” De Castro said.

De Castro pointed out that the LNMB is in fact under the administration of the Department of National Defense (DND) and not the National Historical Commission (NHC).

“In fact, it is the commander in chief of the military (Philippine President) and the DND who have the final say if they can be buried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani,” De Casto said.

De Castro further pointed out that there is currently no body that determines who should be buried at the LNMB or one that sets a criteria for a person or a deceased to be considered as hero.

“There seems to be no established guidelines as to who are heroes and as to who are disqualified [to be buried at LNMB. Because as from what I understand, even the spouses of a secretary of DND are allowed to be buried there,” De Castro said.

“There is no clear guidelines, the is no body that determines who are entitled to be buried at the Libingan. Should the court be the one to decide? What is meant by heroes, who decides who are the bayani?” he added.

De Castro opined that the conflict arises from the name of the cemetery itself.

“I would like to find out if the Libingan ng mga Bayani is really a pantheon. Because it seems that it was intended only to be a war memorial and not really for heroes. I think it is the name creates controversy,” De Castro said.

“A lot of controversies arise from the term Libingan ng mga Bayani, when actually not all that are buried there are heroes,” she added.

President Rodrigo Duterte himself said Marcos should be buried at the Libingan not only because he is a former president but also a former soldier.

During his turn to respond to De Castro, Colmenares maintained that Marcos, though a former soldier and president, must still not be buried at the LNMB, as he cannot be considered a person worthy of emulation or is a source of inspiration.

Colmenares pointed out that Republic Act 289 or the law that establishes the Libingan ng mga Bayani or the “National Pantheon for Presidents of the Philippines, National Heroes, and Patriots of the Country” states that the deceased that should be buried there are those worthy of emulation or is a source of inspiration.

“What is the problem with Marcos being interred there [at LNMB]? The standard is worthy of inspiration and emulation. That should be the standard.Is he worthy of emulation and inspiration? For us, he is not. Sa ating mga puso, hindi siya hero,” Colmenares said.

“The victims of torture [during Martial Law] will long be forgotten your honor, but their tormentor will now be in a place where he will be called a model worthy of emulation and esteemed,” he added. —NB, GMA News