Petitioners on stealth burial: We won’t take this sitting down

Patty Pasion

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

Petitioners on stealth burial: We won’t take this sitting down

LeAnne Jazul

(3rd UPDATE) One group of petitioners will still file a motion for reconsideration with the Supreme Court, while another will file a motion for contempt against the government and the Marcos family

MANILA, Philippines (3rd UPDATE) – The groups that opposed before the Supreme Court a hero’s burial for former President Ferdinand Marcos condemned the secrecy by which the dictator’s heirs and the Philippine government held the internment on Friday, November 18.

The rites – discovered by the media less than an hour before it started – took place 10 days after the SC handed its ruling that President Rodrigo Duterte did not abuse his discretion when he ordered Marcos to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. 

It happened too while petitioners had informed the High Court that they would be filing a motion for reconsideration once they had received copies of the ruling. 

Following are the reactions from some of the petitioners:

It’s vintage Marcos – burying the dictator like a thief in the night. Marcos also declared Martial Law and ordered its execution in the dead of night in 1972. We believe that the Marcoses were so insecure about the people’s outrage they had to resort to the sneak attack.

– Boni Ilagan (Bayan Muna, Carmma groups) 

Hindi pa final and executory ang SC decision. So this was done in defiance of the law and the Court’s authority. 

– Barry Gutierrez (counsel of petitioners, Etta Rosales’ group) 

This is a dastardly act characteristic of the Marcoses and a slap on the face of the victims of human rights violations during Martial Law. It is an outright insult to the Supreme Court as the Marcoses did not even wait for the finality of its decision. We will not take this sitting down and more protests would be launched against the Marcoses. 

– Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Zarate (Bayan Muna, Carmma groups )  

Pinapalabas lang ng mga Marcos na nasa lahi nila ang magpuslit, magnakaw, magdikta, at ubod ng sinungaling. Pati ba naman ang paglibing, ninanakaw pa? Hindi lang pala kayamanan ng bayan, buhay ng tao ang nananakaw; pati paglibing ay nagagawa nila. Ang kasaysayan ay binabaliktad. Nakakalungkot! Where’s their respect for truth, justice, and peace?

– Hilda Narciso (Martial Law victim, from Rosales’ group) 

Immediately after the burial was broadcast by no less than Marcos’ daughter, Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos, protest rallies were scheduled by groups and sectors opposed to the late dictator. Check the schedule of rallies on Friday here. – Rappler.com 

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Patty Pasion

Patty leads the Rappler+ membership program. She used to be a Rappler multimedia reporter who covered politics, labor, and development issues of vulnerable sectors.