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Burying Marcos at Libingan ng mga Bayani could also mean burying Imelda there

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Just my opinion

By Raïssa Robles

I meant, when she’s dead.

I’m serious. It’s now in the rules and regulations of Libingan ng mga Bayani, that widows of former Philippine presidents can also be interred beside their spouses.

And you know what message that will send throughout Philippine history – that the Conjugal Dictatorship was good for the country. That it was the Golden Age. When it was not. When it was one of the darkest, vilest periods of our history. Worse than during the Japanese or American Occupation.

Do you know that Marcos is the only President who put up an entire system to arrest, detain and torture his own people so that they would not overthrow him as he continued being president beyond his legal, constitutional term?

Marcos was also the only Philippine President who “deprofessionalized” the military. And the military knows that only too well. He kept many loyal generals beyond the age of retirement. He promoted his favorites of mostly Ilocanos. He skewed the military chain of command by giving General Fabian Ver, his spy chief, even more powers than the defense secretary or the Armed Forces Chief of Staff.

I included in the book how the military chain of command actually looked like under Marcos, the Commander-in-Chief.

Even worse than deprofessionalizing the military, Marcos thoroughly corrupted it. (That’s in Chapter 6 of the book.) I am hoping that the decent military officers, active or retired, will tell Commander-in-Chief Duterte that setting up Marcos as a model President AND Commander-in-Chief will send the wrong signal to the army.

What I found really appalling during my research is that the military to this day has not even counted how many of its soldiers actually died during the dictatorship, sent off  by Marcos to battle communist and Muslim rebels in his name.

The military to this day also does not have an official account of its history during the Marcos dictatorship. In short, the military has not squarely faced its sordid past and is now even trying to bury it by honoring the Marcos corpse with a hero’s internment.

Everything about burying Marcos in Libingan ng mga Bayani screams “THAT’S WRONG”.

While the government of President Rodrigo Duterte can give all the legal arguments to bury him there – and there are plenty of them, a sign at the entrance of the cemetery shows the travesty of its planned action.

At the entrance of the cemetery for heroes are the words –

“I do not know the dignity of his birth, but I do know the glory of his death.”

Libingan-1

At the gates of Libingan are the words etched in bronze – “I do not know the dignity of his birth, but I do know the glory of his death.”

Do you know how Marcos died?

In exile, thrown out of his country by his own people, along with his entire family including grandchildren.

Now let me recount to you his dying days.

I included this in Chapter 7 of my book. It is based on personal accounts of his loyal military aide Colonel Arturo Aruiza,  which he wrote into a book entitled Ferdinand E. Marcos: Malacañang To Makiki.

In connection with the anti-racketeering case that Marcos and Imelda were indicted for in New York,  Aruiza recounted that on November 18, 1988, Marcos was forced to go to the office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Honolulu, Hawaii to be “photographed and fingerprinted like a common thief in a session that lasted three hours, called off only because of his deteriorating physical condition.”

Aruiza said the experience was so stressful that “his eyes squinted; his facial muscles contorted. He began to have facial spasms.”

Marcos asked to go to the bathroom where “he turned cold and clammy, and suffered from vertigo”. The family only learned later that he had a heart attack.

Aruiza asked the FBI “to give the job of fingerprinting Marcos to someone with a gentle touch because the President’s hands were hurting and his cuticles were open wounds”.

Marcos never recovered physically from that humiliation and was always in pain, and in and out of the hospital.

Ten months later, close to midnight of September 27, 1989, Marcos’ son Bongbong arrived at his bedside in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Marcos opened his eyes for the last time and tried to speak to him.

His heartbeat spiked to 200 then fell. The nurses scrambled and he was given CPR. “By then,” Aruiza said, “blood was flowing copiously from the President’s mouth. Three successive shocks were applied.

The pacemaker was activated, but there was no more heartbeat.”

He was 72.

There was nothing glorious about Marcos’ death.

He left behind no words to inspire future generations.

To the end of his days, he was still dangling all that ill-gotten wealth he had amassed in exchange for his return to the presidency or at the very least to Paoay, where he could mount a comeback.

And all these do not matter?

These matter a lot to taxpayers who will also foot the bill of his internment and the 24/7 guarding of his tomb to prevent people from defiling it.

Comments

  1. 2 peaceful, non violent protest action against the burial of Marcos (wax figure) at the LNMB:

    1. Paint the road to the LNMB red on the day of the Marcos burial and for as long as he is supposed to be there.

    2. Make a recording of screams and howls and sadistic brutal laughter of torturers and broadcast this on loudspeakers as part of protest actions and programs.

  2. Du30 said Marcos dating presidente at sundalo. Puede ilibing sa LNMB. Period! Kung maniquin hindi yun presidente. Therefore, hindi puede ilibing ang maniquin. Period! Need a forensic to verify whether or not the one in Ilocos is a maniquin or Marcos. Kung nalibing na – no more lipat. Period!

  3. Ferdinand E. Marcos, Sr. RIP = my meaning of it is Rest in Plundering. While the spouse dictator, Imelda R. Marcos, RIP = my meaning of that is still Restless in Plunders. I think you are right, Imelda Marcos and family may even demand for her to be buried next to him and as a “heroine?” Their epitaphs could range from many choices and entitlements:
    “Here lies Master Liars and Excessive Unmatched Greed”
    “Here Lies the Unmatched Masters of Kleptocracy”
    “Heroine of Unmatched Shoes Collection”
    “Here lies the Filipino Founders of kleptocracy, cronyism, worst torture, graft and corruption”
    “Here lies conjugal dictators RIP – Rest in Plundering”
    “Here lies a forever the model of impunity”

    • You are probably perfect person. You are great and definitely blind. Look at yourselves first if you are unstained and you are the greatest of all commentator and nothing more than that.

  4. Epitaph, befitting a dictator?

    Here lies a former president who ruled his nation as a dictator. A pretentious bemedalled soldier, a thief who enriched himself, his family & minions. Even after his death, still longest lie in repose, haunts his state that he be buried, be counted among its fallen heroes.

  5. It will not be surprising if the Philippines is in a Reaganistic state right now, that it is being ruled by a person afflicted with a mental disease, such as senile dementia or Alzheimer disease. The actuations of the President make one strongly suspicious of this.

    • Yes! Why couldn’t the marcoses let go and bury their dead in ilocos as per agreement during fvr admin?
      Just what is it in lnmb that they are after?
      Putang Ina! Tagal ng patay yon ah, pinagkakakitaan pa rin nila.
      ngayon, gusto nila pagkagatusan pa rin ng gobyerno with 24/7 guwardya? Wow! Ang kasakiman nga naman, walang katapusan. Yan ay isa lang sa mga benepisyo. Marami pang iba ibang benepisyo, lapirutin ang historya at kung ano ano pa. Bye bye claimants 1081 and all others, just forsake your claim in every courts. Wala na ngang apology, no remorse in anyway, kc nasa lnmb na.
      Why is is that the marcoses can let go? Why couldn’t they bury their dead?

      • that is the big part of rewriting history.
        the 18 yr.old nalundasan slayer turned dictator.
        eventually a hero.

        • Oo naman. Nakulong rin pala noong 1944 dahil sa anomalya sa pera.
          Sundalo pa lang, nangungurakot na.
          Si Roxas ang nag apela para makalaya.
          News sa abcs 2 days ago.

  7. How and why does history get rewritten?

    I will just share here from the link the HOW and a few of my own from it.

    – 1. The availability of evidence for the historical account
    Everything we write about the past is based on evidence, and if we use different evidence, we will inevitably arrive at a different version of what happened in the past. Historians should, of course, use as much evidence as possible, and the evidence should be as varied and widespread as possible, to avoid building up a biased picture of the past.

    -MARCOS Martial Law: Never Again a Book of the historical account by Raissa Robles is based on evidence from many sources. If one does not have this Book, one does not know the EVIDENCE.

    – 2. The level of objectiveness used by the historian in choosing the evidence
    But sometimes a wide range of evidence is available, but historians choose not to use it. Instead, they are so keen to prove a hypothesis that they have developed, that they are unwilling to consider evidence that might contradict what they believe.

    -To the body of former Pres. Marcos at the Heroes’ Cemetery is consciously , ceasing looking for the answer. This contradict SOCRATE’s dictum about : never ceasing to ask questions in order to discover the truth.

    –3. The purpose of the historical account
    Trying to tell the t ruth about what happened in the past (regardless of whether it is possible to to find out, a historical account becomes tainted.

    -Burying the body of former Pres. Marcos at the Heroes Cemetery is tainted. To proceed in that will be a practice hereon that many of us Filipinos will be unable to so removed and be objective to find the truth.

    -Propaganda would be of use and used to consolidate the position of a would-be dictator. A manipulation of the facts is a feature of all authoritarian states or leaders.

    –Social, political, and psychological paradigms at the time of the historical account
    Seeing and understanding the world inevitably depends on the intellectual fashions of the time. It takes an unusually courageous mind to break free from such constraints.

    -Burying the body of the former Pres. Marcos a the Heroes Cemetery is boldness. Not courageous. It is not by a true historian for anyone. An easy escape to influence not the prevailing political and social climate. Shouldn’t everybody break free from such constraints?

    So what affects our interpretation of the past, and why does it get rewritten?
    -Marcos Martial Law: Never Again will inevitably get rewritten from a different perspective and changed over time because of the overlapping FACTORS given that affects the EVIDENCE of the past.

    Different results from different approaches to history. Contrasting METHODS leads to it.

    Historians, in modern times, have to remain as OBJECTIVE and SCEPTICAL as possible. If they don’t, their results can suffer.

    Is there large amount of money involved in the world’s media frenzy to do a rewritten history and to follow through by propaganda and to really bury the body of former Pres. Marcos at the Heroes Cemetery?

    Is there really a truth? Or the truth is only our interpretation of it? Something that is probably easier to apply to the past than to the present?

    Is this POSSIBLE to come close to a RETELLING of what actually happened?

    Our law creating the Heroes Cemetery or Libingan ng Mga Bayani will be REWRITTEN or unofficially AMENDED or inutile. That will be bitter. Congress enacted that law. Will that law be followed or not?

    What will it take that the law be followed?

    Think or guess it.
    –

    • What will it take that the law be followed?
      ———————————————————-

      imo, conniving govt officials is the greatest hindrance to true democracy. it is defeating all sorts of safeguards the constitution and laws have put up. therefore, a true foi and anti-dynasty law probably are the missing pieces and this is why lawmakers are so afraid of them.

      in fact, charter change and federalism are not as important as these 2 laws. charter change and federalism could be done later slowly and meticulously without rushing. rushing it ensures holes that will be difficult to plug or undone.

      • Will it be: ‘MANILA, Aug. 13 (PNA) — The people should decide on whether Ferdinand E. Marcos should be buried at the “Libingan Ng Mga Bayani” (LNMB) in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, former president Fidel V. Ramos said Saturday.

        ‘The AGREEMENT’ – per FVR: ‘The four conditions set by the then Ramos government in exchange for the return of the remains of the former president were: that it would be flown straight from Hawaii to Paoay, Ilocos Norte; that he would be given honors befitting a major in the AFP, because it was his last rank in the AFP; that he would not be paraded in Metro Manila because at that time anti-Marcos sentiments were still fresh; and that he would be buried in Ilocos Norte, not in the Libingan Ng Mga Bayani.’

        . . . ‘represented by Ilocos Norte Rep. Roquito Ablan and former First Lady Imelda Marcos, by then Interior and Local Government Secretary Rafael Alunan III.’

        The PEOPLE to decide – through CONGRESS: by a resolution as representatives of the People [ says FVR ]. The said AGREEMENT was not supported by a Congressional resolution. So, now a resolution is an ADDED condition.

        Will former BB and/or FL Marcos agree to the ADDED condition, a Congressional resolution? Will Pres. Duterte agree to that? Will Congress make that resolution on that AGREEMENT?

        Is that AGREEMENT valid and legally binding on the present Administration of Pres. Duterte without further an added condition that is, a congressional resolution, under the FVR Administration?

        The AGREEMENT under FVR Administration is . . . that he would be buried in Ilocos Norte, not in the Libingan Ng Mga Bayani.

        What about the law creating on who should be buried at the LMB, was the AGREEMENT in accord with that law or is the law’s provisions voluntarily not to be applied by the private and official State parties?

        So many issues I can think of. Who can resolve them, the present Administration or the courts? Or the said PARTIES?

        Think or guess it.

  8. Start your rallies…”you can rally everyday, all are to be approved” – PDu30…FM shall be buried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani!

    Ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters in blood…FM is a HERO, like Emilio Aguinaldo and so is PDu30. They are the only hero presidents who stood up against foreign colonialists…all others are puppets, their souls are bought by the world’s worst colonialist, USA [China, UK, France and Spain fills up the top 5].

      • Raissa,

        I am joining you in your short reply — jeez!!!

        Is this the hero who when told by a US functionary to “cut and cut cleanly,” can only lamely say — I am greatly disappointed. Talk of standing up to the colonialists.

        And if not for a US helicopter who airlifted them from Malacanang to safety may have been lynched along with all his family by the mob who stormed Malacanang. Again saved by the so-called colonialists, this brave hero of the commenter’s mind.

    • Well if you really admire FM as much as Aguinaldo, please note that EA is buried in Kawit. To add, Apolinario Mabini and Jose P. Laurel is in Tanauan, Rizal’s parents are in Calamba and his siblings Paciano, Trinidad and Josefa are in Paciano’s house in Los Banos. Melchora Aquino is in Banlat, Quezon City, Marcelo H. del Pilar is in Bulakan town and his nephew Gregorio in Malolos, Mariano Ponce is in Baliuag and Jose Ma. Panganiban is in the town named after him that was Mambulao before.

      If Marcos was such a hero, why does the family feel insecure, so much so that they really really want to bury him in LNMB?

  10. sana hindi matuloy ito grabe na gobyerno ngayon puro killing killing tapos marcos burial nakakadismaya.

    • aba, ano ba ito, makoy to be guarded 24hrs sa libingan, gaya ba ng pag-guard kay dr jose rizal sa luneta?

      dadaigin yata ni makoy si rizal ngayon. I think, I may have to prepare catapult and trebouchet, just so I can throw rubbish at makoy, long distance. yong drones ko rin, may have to be upgraded, make them able to carry loads like tae? ah, molotov cocktails, only instead of gasoline, I’ll fill them up with piss. prepare yourself for guerilla uprising, makoy, ttrue maharlikas in reverse.

      • ano babamtayan sya 24hrs so expenses pa yan ng gobyerno baliw na talaga si digong galit sa corrupt pero ano yan sila aiza may posisyon na grabe worst nakakatawa oay back time talaga..

        • if allowed, imelda is going to bleed the nation dry again. she really ought to bury her bangkay in her own backyard and have him guarded 24/7, at her own expense.

          sobra na itong pagbibigay honor sa waxwork. kung ako ang military guard assigned to guard, I’ll turn my uniform inside out. bilang protest.

  11. Military honors to a dishonorable man

    How can a professional soldier of Philippine republic stomach this.

    Tapos to be guarded 24 hours tapos pag namatay si Imelda ganon din.

    This is one thing that makes Du30 a dishohorable man, shouting and killing his way to solve corruption yet honoring the most corrupt leader the country ever had. Matindi siguro yung hawak ni BBM sa balls nya na di sya makapalag.

      • It’s ironic that illegal killings become legal, unethical Filipino values and unreasonableness in this administration become ethical.

        Have you the slightest idea why the burial will be held on Sept. 18, 2016?

        Here’s an idea, they so love the dates because it is the making again of a a historic event , erasing/covering up the pain of that dark era…

        Wiki:

        Proclamation № 1081 which imposed martial law was dated 21 September 1972, but it was actually signed on 17 September. The formal announcement of the proclamation was made only at seven-thirty in the evening of 23 September, about twenty-two hours after he had commanded his military collaborators to start arresting his political opponents and close down all media and retail (fashion, food, religious, sports) establishments.[15]

        The Proclamation read in part
        “ My countrymen, as of the twenty-first of this month, I signed Proclamation № 1081 placing the entire Philippines under Martial Law… ”
        — Ferdinand Marcos, September 21, 1972

        We are all being slapped in the face by these oligarch family who don’t care what and how their poor victims feel.

        I am weeping because of sadness that 104 million minus 16 minions millions FILIPINOS are once again become mute and helpless and tolerate the bullies to thwart their sense of goodness and sensibility.

        Remember SEPTEMBER 18, 2016 burial of the great dictator
        You forgot September 17-21, 1972 Marcos Martial Law was declared to us all

        Citizens, why have you become so passive in the face of scorn?

        • September 21, 1972
          My countrymen, as of the twenty-first of this month, I signed Proclamation № 1081 placing the entire Philippines under Martial Law… ”
          — Ferdinand Marcos, September 21, 1972

          Present:
          My countrymen, as of the18th of this month of September , I signed Proclamation № 0000 placing the entire Philippines under deepest sorrow and statutory holiday for the burial and memorial service of a former president ,who was a soldier but not a real soldier, a hero that killed and tortured 10,000 Filipino victims, so be it , so I ordered.
          —Rodrigo Duterte, September 18, 2016

          **
          My countrymen , why have you become so passive in the face of scorn?

        • @netty
          May symbolism kaya o parallelism ang gagawin ni DU30 this August 18 vis-a-vis sa libing ng diktador sa September 18?
          1. August 18, 2016 (8.18.2016) mag-uulat si DU30 ng kanyang first 50 days as president alas dose ng tanghali.
          1. September 18, 2016 (9.18.2016) kung hindi pipigilan ng Korte Suprema, ililibing ang labi ng diktador sa LNB, with military honors, alas dose rin ng tanghali.

          May hidden message kaya na gustong iparating si DI30 sa mamamayang Pilipino?

        • Isa pa, kung totoo na may kasunduan si FVR, nung sya pa ang pangulo, sa mga Marcos na sa Ilocos lamang dapat ilibing ang bangkay ng diktador, hindi ba dapat na siya ang magpa-alala ngayon na gumaganap na naman siya (FVR) ng pampublikong gawain bilang sugo ni DU30 sa China?

          O baka naman dahil sa edad, nalimutan na ni FVR ang kasunduan nya sa mga Marcos.

        • Duquemarino, hopefully our exchange is only in jest, but sometimes some things are unconsciously coming up for a certain reason.
          Here’s a link which may be cryptic but I don’t believe anymore in coincidences, some things are staged because we are living in a world choosing between goodness and darkness. One should not necessarily be religious to believe , use discernment as to your own inner self, what resonates with your heart and mind.
          What I am saying is all from my heart, not trying to impress I am special .

          https://richardjoldale.com/2015/05/07/the-esoteric-meaning-of-the-number-18/

          Here this is interesting…..
          “However, Norse mythology also indicates the number 18 has positive attributes if the initiate can master characteristics that open you to the laws of nature which manifest in creation.

          So like the nine, if you see a repetition of 18 in your life, it is at this stage you should reflect on your thoughts, emotions and actions in the past to determine where you went wrong – or right, of course.”

          Good luck to all and take care* :)

        • @netty

          Alunan and FVR was interviewed very recently. Alunan confirmed that the is a signed agreement on how Marcos’ remains should be buried. AccordoingntomAlunan it was then congressman Ablan who represented the Marcoses and there should be a file copy of the agreement in Malacanang.
          The agreement says
          1. Transport of the cadaver was from Hawaii to Paoay
          2. Marcos will be accorded honors befitting a major, his rank at the AFP
          3. The remains will not be paraded in Metro Manila
          4. Because burial is in Ilocos, no burial in LNB

          Si FVR naman ang sabi, “congress needs say on Marcos burial.

          Alunan’s interview is on rapplerdotcom, inquirer, bulletin, etc.

        • August 18, 2012 namatay si Sec. DILG Jessie Robredo ng bumagsak ang maliit na eroplanong kanyang sinakyan pauwi ng bikol na bumagsak sa karagatan ng samar/leyte ba iyon? Aug. 21, after 3 days of search and “rescue” attempts nakita ang kanyang labi sa gitna ng karagatan.
          Gustong ipalimot sa tao ang mga matitinong tao na nagbigay dangal sa salitang public servant.