MANILA, Philippines – Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada said the country should not be divided on the burial of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

“Well, we are all Christians, we all must respect the dead,” the former President was quoted as saying in a press release Sunday, August 21.

Estrada said Filipinos should just “move on” and “devote more time [to] the problems of the country” since officials have already decided.

Marcos’ military burial has been the subject of a heated debate after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to prepare for the interment, set in September.

Various groups have opposed the President’s decision, saying that the late dictator is not a hero, being responsible for the human rights violations committed under his regime. Amnesty International has estimated there were more than 100,000 human rights victims during Martial Law.

The Supreme Court (SC), however, has yet to hear the 3 cases filed by several groups seeking to stop the burial. The High Court is set to conduct oral arguments on the consolidated case on Wednesday, August 24.

The Estrada and the Marcos families are known to have strong political ties.

In the last elections, the Manila mayor was among the public officials who first declared their support for the late strongman’s son and namesake Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The younger Marcos was running for vice president at the time.

Estrada’s son Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito and Ejercito’s mother San Juan City Mayor Guia Gomez also backed Marcos Jr’s vice presidential bid. – Rappler.com