London protest against Marcos burial at Libingan

Signs at London protest. MELISSA ALCANTARA

LONDON –Protesters gathered outside the Philippine Embassy in Central London Sunday, August 28 to oppose Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to bury the body of ex-President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (Heroes’ Cemetery) in Taguig, Manila.

“Miguel,” a Filipino settled in the UK, said during the rally: “Nandito ako sa rally dahil personal sa akin ‘to, ang aking lolo ay nakalibing sa libingan ng mga bayani. One can argue that not everybody buried in the Heroes’ Cemetery is a hero.”

He continued, “The government have cited a lot of examples, and I myself can cite examples. But whoever you cite, there’s no denying that the Marcoses have robbed billions from the Filipino people, and that they have killed and jailed thousands.”

“My grandfather was a veteran in World War II, and he didn’t fake his records,” added Miguel. “He was a hero.”

Miguel continued: “The current President says that Marcos was a former president and soldier, and that he should therefore be buried in the Heroes’ Cemetery. This will be a political victory for the Marcoses. What does it mean? That we didn’t learn anything. Where are we going?”

Dubious hero

Before he was overthrown by a popular upheaval, dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos had ratcheted up Philippine national debt to a staggering $30 billion, critics charge. The Marcos family was accused of plundering an estimated $10 billion.

Marcos declared himself as “the most decorated war hero in the Philippines” — a declaration later disproved by United States Army documents, which labeled his claim as “fraudulent” and “absurd.”

In 1972, Marcos placed the Philippines under martial law, which lasted 14 years and resulted in a staggering number of human rights violations and deaths.

According to Amnesty International, during the martial law years 70,000 people imprisoned; 34,000 tortured; 3,240 killed; and 88 law enforcers were accused of torture.

The recent decision by newly elected President Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte to bury Marcos’ body in the Heroes’ Cemetery has become a controversial topic worldwide.

An ‘insulting’ decision

“Oliver,” another Filipino living and working in London, joined the Embassy protest to express his opinions on the President’s controversial decision.

“My family are Marcos loyalists, but I am here for the people, for the other people,” said Oliver. “There may only be a few people here [at the rally], but we are representing those who agree with us at large. Whatever the policy is about Marcos, where he is to be buried at — in the Heroes’ Cemetery — is a total insult to us.”

“I hope the Supreme Court will listen to the people. For starters, we called it ‘Heroes’ Cemetery.’ Maybe we should change it to ‘Cemetery of Heroes and the Corrupt’ or ‘Cemetery of Heroes and Oppressors,’” Oliver continued.

“I think that regardless of what President Duterte says — that it is in the law, and that he is just following the law — why does he not then obey the other laws, rather than only those that favor him?” he questioned.  “This is also law. We do not want to bury non-heroes in the Heroes’ place.”

Oliver added: “Marcos is not a hero — he is an insult. This decision itself is an insult, to those who paid with their lives, and to those who suffered during Martial Law.”

Strong opposition

In the wake of the proposed burial of Marcos, the activist group Kontra Libing Coalition (KLC) released a statement urging people to take a stand.

The statement hopes that the Supreme Court will intervene before the burial can proceed.

An excerpt from the statement reads: “A hero’s burial for Marcos erases the memory of the Filipino people’s hard-fought and heroic struggle for freedom from his tyranny. Many true heroes gave up their lives in brave defiance of his illegitimate authority, and in courageous struggle against corruption and injustice.”

“Most importantly, a hero’s burial for Marco negates the hard and important lessons learned from his dictatorial regime’s negative example.”

The statement continues: “The Filipino people deserve to move on – away from corruption, away from the old politics of patronage and people’s disempowerment, away from tyranny and abuse of power, away from the sordid state of affairs that was the Marcos era, and into a new politics of principles, reform, social justice, human rights, genuine democracy, good government, and accountability.”

Those in opposition to the burial, including the organizers of KLC, are set to assemble at noon September 7 to protest in front of embassies and consulates worldwide.