According to Marcos’ family, the former president left a last will and testament revealing among other things details of how he wanted to be buried. A copy of the document dated March 17, 1982, was shown GMA News.
“I desire that my remains be buried according to the rites established by law and with dignity suitable to my position and other personal circumstances,” the document said, as reported by Saleema Refran on the TV program “State of the Nation with Jessica Soho.”
According to Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos, daughter of former President Ferdinand Marcos, the family interprets Marcos’ wish as burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB) in Taguig.
But some quarters contest Marcos’ last will and testament, saying there is no specific reference to being buried at the LNMB. They say the last will and testament could be fulfilled even if Marcos were buried in Batac, Ilocos Norte.
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However, some observers say that the phrase “according to rites established by law…suitable to my position” makes a Marcos burial at LNMB sanctioned recently by the Supreme Court apt and legal.
Then again, some sectors against the burial refuse to give the former strongman the honor of getting a hero’s burial. They reasoned that being buried in a hero’s cemetery automatically made him a hero. But Governor Imee Marcos thought otherwise.
“It’s not a crusade. It doesn’t make him a hero. At the end of the day, we have to judge that by other means. It’s just complying with what your dad wanted,” she explained to ABS CBN News.
In fact, the governor said it won’t be something extravagant, not even involving a burial rite apt for presidents. All it would be is a burial for an ordinary soldier.
“Simpleng paglilibing lang ng isang kawal, isang sundalo … Hindi naman bonggang-bongga ang inaasahan (ng aming pamilya)” [A simple burial rite accorded a soldier. Nothing extravagant, that’s not what the family expects], Governor Marcos said on the TV program Unang Balita.
“Kung ano man ‘yung pangkaraniwan na paglilibing sa ating mga sundalo, ganun lang ‘yung aking naisip. Gusto lang niya [ng tatay ko] na makasama ang mga sundalo na nakasama niya noong giyera,” she added.
[Whatever usual burial rite is granted our soldiers. That’s exactly what I imagine. All my father wants is to be buried with his fellow soldiers during the war].
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Last week, the Marcos burial issue was finally decided by the Supreme Court. It saw no reason why the former president shouldn’t be buried at the LNMB. This decision overrules protests or petitions against the burial, being a decision made by the highest court of the land and the final arbiter concerning interpretation of the law.
Moreover, President Duterte approves of the burial.
Meanwhile, protesters are looking for a way to delay the said LNMB burial.
Sources: (gmanetwork.com, news.abs-cbn.com)
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