Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos said that the Marcoses only wanted a soldier’s burial for her father, the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr.
“Simpleng paglilibing lang ng isang kawal, isang sundalo… Hindi naman bonggang-bongga ang inaasahan [n gaming pamilya],” she said in GMA News’ Unang Balita.
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However, IT expert and Democracy.Net.Ph co-founder Pierre Tito Galla pointed out one important thing during a military funeral that caught the attention of netizens, so much so that his post has been shared almost 1,000 times.
“Remember: at the end of the ceremony, the triangular-folded flag is handed over to the family, and these words are spoken: ‘on behalf of a grateful nation,’” Galla wrote.
He also provided links to his other Facebook posts containing the details of what he remembered to be the procedure during a military funeral.
Galla narrated what he recalled as the procedure if full military honors are to be granted to Marcos, based on what he remembered from the procedure accorded to the late President Corazon Aquino on August 1-5, 2009. He also noted how, if military honors were to be provided to Marcos, Imelda may also be given such honors.
It starts with how the casket will “lie in state” for a few days at a location of the family’s choosing to the speech given to the family of the soldier while handing over the folded Philippine flag to them.
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“start of procedure
– if full honors are to be granted, the casket will lie in state for a wake of several days (optional; family’s choice; lying in state can be at Camp Aguinaldo etc etc)
– during the wake, an honor guard — one each from the Army, Navy, and Air Force, and one from the PNP (in its historical role as formerly the Philippine Constabulary) is constantly in attendance.
– (assuming there is a Requiem Mass or equivalent; optional) after the celebration of the mass, the casket is carried out by military pallbearers of appropriate rank.
– the pallbearers pause at the exit for the accordance of departure honors (a gun salute), then the playing of the national anthem.
– the pallbearers carry the casket from the wake venue to the funeral cortege. the cortege is escorted by an honor guard all the way to the place where the burial will take place. along the route, the Philippine flag is to be flown at half-staff.
– at some distance from the gravesite (200 meters? 500 meters? basta, enough for a funeral march), the cortege stops. military honors are again accorded. the casket is transfered from the cortege by military pallbearers to a horse-drawn caisson (a gun carriage).
– an escort (size depends on rank; for FM, probably company size or about 200 soldiers) will march ahead of the caisson (to clear the way), escorted by the honor guard, at slow march to the grave site.
– a riderless horse (symbolizing a fallen leader) will follow the caisson.
– following the riderless horse will be an escort (size depends on rank; in FM’s case, probably battalion size). the soldiers will be carrying their rifles reversed.
– drummers in the procession will play muffled drums along the route. (total personnel involved must be about brigade size siguro?)
– at the grave site, the military pallbearers move the casket from the caisson over the grave. a short religious service (optional) is performed. after the service, the casket is sealed.
– when the casket is sealed, the flag is removed and folded into a triangle.
– the casket is lowered in a slow, dignified manner. a final military salute (gun salute) is accorded. retreat is played by a military bugler. the PAF may stage a “missing man” formation fly-by.
– the flag is presented respectfully to the spouse/ mother/ father/ oldest child/ representative (in order of preference), with a short personal speech to the next of kin.
– the speech goes like “On behalf of the President of the Philippines and the people of a grateful nation, may I present this flag as a token of appreciation for the honorable and faithful service your loved one has rendered this nation.”
end of procedure”
And Galla wanted his readers to dwell on the speech that would be uttered by a two-star general to Imelda.“Let the final step sink in your thoughts: a two-star general will present a flag to imelda marcos, say the words “may I present this flag as a token of appreciation for the honorable and faithful service your loved one has rendered this nation,” on behalf of all of us, who are supposed to be a grateful to FM,” he wrote.
Galla also made another post about another scenario that might be expected of the arrival honors for Marcos’ remains based on the honors accorded to the SAF 44.
Source: (facebook.com, cnnphilippines.com, gmnetwork.com)
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