CPP urges Duterte on Marcos burial: ‘Reverse this historical wrong’

Jee Y. Geronimo

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CPP urges Duterte on Marcos burial: ‘Reverse this historical wrong’

Martin San Diego

The Communist Party of the Philippines has strong words against the Duterte government for honoring Marcos 'as a hero with full military honors' in a 'funeral carried out surreptitiously'

MANILA, Philippines – Calling it a “historical wrong,” the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on Saturday, November 19, urged President Rodrigo Duterte to “reverse” the burial of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani.

The CPP had strong words against the Duterte government for honoring Marcos “as a hero with full military honors” in a “funeral carried out surreptitiously.”

According to the CPP, Duterte “exhibited gross disrespect and insensitivity to the Filipino people’s sufferings” during Martial Law.

“It was an act of great reversal of the historical judgement of the Filipino people against the US-Marcos dictatorship and a completion of the political resurrection of the Marcoses,” the CPP said in its statement on Saturday.

Marcos was buried at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani on Friday, November 18, or 10 days after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Duterte’s order, allowing the late strongman to be interred at the designated resting place for Filipino soldiers, war veterans, and citizens considered as heroes and martyrs.

The Marcos family held the burial in private, with only immediate relatives present. (IN PHOTOS: Marcos family lays ex-president to rest)

Protests in different parts of Metro Manila and the country immediately followed the burial, with anti-Marcos groups vowing to sustain rallies in key cities until the end of November.

The CPP said Duterte risks facing “mounting protests and isolation” if he does not listen to the “people’s outcry” against the burial. The political organization itself expressed support for different groups who are taking to the streets their “indignation” over the burial.

It urged Duterte to support the people’s demands to hold Marcos, his wife Imelda, and their children accountable “for the crimes of plunder and violations of the people’s civil and political rights.”

“In ordering the [Armed Forces of the Philippines] to give Marcos hero’s honors, Duterte is proving himself a rotten trapo (traditional politician) who has no qualms working with the worst of the bureaucrat capitalists and gives premium to paying political debt and political loyalties even to the detriment of the people’s aspirations for historical and social justice,” the CPP added.

The CPP advised the President to “stop effusively praising Marcos’ mythic brilliance which makes him sound like a loyalist.”

It also warned Duterte against his suggestions on “reviving such hallmarks of Marcos’ martial law as the constabulary and the suspension of writ of habeas corpus.”

“The people have not forgotten and they will not allow the resurrection of a strongman rule,” the CPP added.

In defending his order allowing a hero’s burial for the late dictator, Duterte said he was just being legalistic about it. 

“Let history judge but I will do what is legal and the Supreme Court has ruled that it is,” he said in a statement a few hours after the burial. – Rappler.com

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Jee Y. Geronimo

Jee is part of Rappler's Central Desk, handling most of the world, science, and environment stories on the site. She enjoys listening to podcasts and K-pop, watching Asian dramas, and running long distances. She hopes to visit Israel someday to retrace the steps of her Savior.