Framers of 1987 Constitution condemn Marcos burial

The framers of the 1987 Constitution on Thursday denounced the heroes' burial given to the late President Ferdinand Marcos, describing it as a "shameless treachery" that disregarded the sufferings of Martial Law victims.

In a statement, the 10 surviving members of the commission that drafted the Constitution also praised the youth for standing up against the burial.

"We condemn the burial of the dictator Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani, in shameless treachery, in disregard of the facts of history, in contempt of the grief and sufferings of the bereaved victims of Martial Law, and in defiance of the hopes of our people and their children to build a future based on the values of truth, justice, respect for human rights and caring for others," they said.

The framers said they "are inspired by the outpouring of protest by the youth who give life to our hope for generations of heroes who are the antithesis of everything that was Marcos," it added.

The statement was signed by Felicitas Aquino-Arroyo, Adolfo Azcuna, Florangel Rosaio Braid, Hilario Davide Jr., Edmundo Garcia, Jose Luis Martin Gascon, Christian Monsod, Ricardo Romulo, Jaime Tadeo, and Bernardo Villegas.

The framers said the removal of Marcos from Malacañang in 1986 through the EDSA People Power Revolt served as the backdrop of the 1987 Constitution.

"The power of the people deposed a tyrant whose greed was boundless and whose cruelty was criminal to countless victims who were detained arbitrarily, tortured, made to 'disappear' and 'salvaged' during the Martial Law years," they said.

"The Consititution was written after nationwide consultations with a sovereign people whose valiant resistance to ruthless dictatorial rule and vision of a new social order are inscribed in its provisions," they added.

The framers said the Constitution, which they said was created with a vision away from the "Marcosian nightmare," ensures the strict adherence to the rule of law to prevent another authoritarian rule and the promotion of human rights and social justice.

"The heart of the Constitution underscores in no uncertain terms: the primacy of human rights, the promotion of social justice in all phases of national development, strict adherence to the rule of law and never again to any form of authoritarianism," the statement said. —KBK, GMA News