Philippines's Marcos Buried Amid Protest
Ferdinand E. Marcos, the Philippine dictator, was buried with military honors in Manila on Friday, 30 years after his death. Human rights groups and politicians protested outside the cemetery.
By REUTERS on Publish Date November 18, 2016. Photo by Romeo Ranoco/Reuters. Watch in Times Video »[1]MANILA — Opponents of a hero's burial for the Philippine dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos[2] expressed outrage on Friday over his surprise, private funeral[3] at the national cemetery in what they called a "sneaky" maneuver to flout the judicial proces s.
Victims of torture and imprisonment during the Marcos era had long opposed the burial in Libingan ng mga Bayani[4] cemetery, which is reserved for national heroes, and some said they would seek to have the body removed. Hundreds of protesters began gathering after the funeral at the People's Power Monument, which commemorates the movement that ousted Mr. Marcos in 1986.
"The stealthy and hurried manner by which the Marcos burial was orchestrated is reminiscent of the dark days of martial law," said Franklin Drilon, the president pro tem of the Philippine Senate. "His burial is anything but noble. Even in death, he is a thief."
Mr. Marcos held power for two decades, ruling for nearly half that time under martial law. His government is believed to have killed more than 3,000 political opponents and tortured tens of thousands more while he and his associates stole an estimated $10 billion from the country.
After his ouster, he fled to Hawaii, where he died in 1989. Four years later, his remains were returned to his hometown, Batac, in Ilocos Norte Province. A preserved body purported to be that of Marcos was long on public display there, but many speculated it was a substitute made of wax.
On Friday morning, his remains were secretly flown by helicopter to the heroes' cemetery, which is the Philippines[5]' equivalent of Arlington National Cemetery in the United States. About 100 people attended the funeral, which included a 21-gun salute. Media representatives were barred from the cemetery, and riot police officers stood watch outside.
Imee Marcos, the dictator's daughter an d the governor of Ilocos Norte, posted a short video[6] on her Facebook page showing the helicopter arriving, the coffin being carried and her mother, the former first lady Imelda Marcos, 87, attending.
Speaking briefly afterward, Imee Marcos thanked President Rodrigo Duterte for supporting the burial and apologized that the funeral was closed to the public for a "simple, private and solemn ceremony."
The burial fulfilled the longtime wish of the Marcos family. But opponents denounced the surreptitious way it was carried out and said it could inspire continuing anger and resentment toward the Marcoses.
"The sneakiness of the burial of the remains of Ferdinand Marcos showed the guilt, the fear and the defiance of the Marcoses," said Ramon Casiple, executive director of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reform[7] and a Marcos-era victim who joined in trying to stop the burial. "Do the younger generations of the Marcos clan really want to continue holding this burden, or do they want to sincerely reconcile with the people?"
Mr. Duterte campaigned this year in part on the promise to bury Mr. Marcos[8], a personal hero. His father, Vicente Duterte, served in Mr. Marcos's first cabinet as secretary of general services.
President Duterte has drawn comparisons with Mr. Marcos for the ruthlessness of the current campaign against illicit drugs and for threats to suspend habeas corpus[9] or impose martial law.
The president's press secretary, Ernesto Abella, who was traveling with Mr. Duterte in Lima, Peru, for a conference of world leaders, told reporters that there was "nothing sneaky" about the burial.
The president's office later issued a statement from Mr. Duterte suggesting that the torture and killings committed by the Marcos government were unproven. "Whether or not he performed worse or better, there is no study, there is no movie about it," he said. "It's just the challenges and allegations of the other side, which is not enough."
The president also urged the country to move beyond the acrimony over the Marcos legacy. "It seems to be a very raucous issue for the nation," he said, "but I would like to pray that everybody would find a space in his heart for forgiveness."
Opponents had argued that giving Mr. Marcos a hero's burial would minimize the severity of hi s crimes and went to court to block it. They lost on Nov. 8 when the Supreme Court ruled that the burial could proceed[10].
But opponents said the sudden funeral flouted the legal process, because the court's decision does not become final for 15 days, leaving time for further appeal.
Vice President Leni Robredo[11], who was elected independently of Mr. Duterte, joined in criticizing the burial. She accused the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police of being complicit in circumventing the legal process, because they received advance notice of the funeral and assisted in the ceremony.
Richard Javad Heydarian[12], a political science professor at De La Salle University in Manila, said the decision by Mr. Duterte to give Mr. Marcos a hero's burial was unlikely to alienate his supporters and would probably reinforce the acceptance of strongman rule in the Philippines.
"On the most basic level, this is about his family friendship with the Marcoses, who have been very supportive of his rise to the presidency," Mr. Heydarian said. "There also is the broader narrative of the glorification of the authoritari an brand of leadership, which would indirectly benefit Duterte's own style of governance."
Continue reading the main story[13]References
- ^ Watch in Times Video » (www.nytimes.com)
- ^ Ferdinand E. Marcos (topics.nytimes.com)
- ^ surprise, private funeral (www.nytimes.com)
- ^ Libingan ng mga Bayani (corregidorisland.com)
- ^ More news and information about Philippines. (topics.nytimes.com)
- ^ posted a sho rt video (www.facebook.com)
- ^ Institute for Political and Electoral Reform (iper.org.ph)
- ^ promise to bury Mr. Marcos (www.nytimes.com)
- ^ Recent and archival news about habeas corpus. (topics.n ytimes.com)
- ^ ruled that the burial could proceed (www.nytimes.com)
- ^ Leni Robredo (lenirobredo.com)
- ^ Richard Javad Heydarian (www.dlsu.edu.ph)
- ^ Continue reading the main story (www.nytimes.com)
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