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Lawyers for the Philippine government and heirs of Ferdinand Marcos say the late dictator is qualified to be buried at a heroes' cemetery as a former president and war veteran despite opposition from his regime's victims.

Solicitor General Jose Calida defended President Rodrigo Duterte's directive to allow Marcos' burial at the military-run Heroes' Cemetery at the resumption Wednesday of Supreme Court hearings on the victims' petitions against the burial.

Calida said that the cemetery is not a national pantheon, and that its name is a misnomer because there is no standard or body defining what a hero is, and burying Marcos there will not confer him the title of a hero.

Marcos was ousted in a 1986 "people power" revolt and died in exile in Hawaii in 1989.</s>MANILA, THE PHILIPPINES (AP) — The Philippine Supreme Court on Wednesday extended its temporary ban on the burial of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos at a heroes’ cemetery after a hearing during which some justices questioned whether President Rodrigo Duterte abused his executive power and violated laws by allowing the entombment, which is opposed by the Marcos regime’s human rights victims.

The court gave both sides 20 days to submit statements before issuing a ruling. An earlier court order temporarily halted the burial until Sept. 12 while the cases were being heard.

Solictor General Jose Calida defended Duterte’s directive, saying it is within the president’s power and a political issue on which the court should not rule. He said Marcos, as a former president and war veteran who was not dishonorably discharged from the military, is qualified to be buried at the cemetery.

Burying a dictator accused of massive rights violations and corruption at the Heroes’ Cemetery has long been an emotional and divisive issue in the Philippines, where Marcos was ousted by a “people power” revolt in 1986. He flew to Hawaii, where he lived with his wife and children in exile until he died in 1989. His body was flown back to his hometown in 1993, where it has been displayed in a glass coffin. But his family wants his remains transferred to the Heroes’ Cemetery.

During Wednesday’s hearing, about 200 supporters of the late dictator picketed outside the court, some carrying a streamer that said “Bury the dead, follow the law.” Another group of activists opposing the burial held up a banner that said “Marcos is no hero!” and chanted “Marcos, Hitler, Dictator, Puppet!”</s>THE SUPREME Court on Wednesday extended to October 18 the status quo order halting the planned burial of the late former President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, giving the magistrates more time to study the case.

This means there will be no interment at the Heroes’ Cemetery in Taguig this month as planned by the late strongman’s family with the permission of President Rodrigo Duterte, who promised to allow the burial during the election campaign to put an end to a lingering issue.

The court en banc first issued a 20-day status quo ante order on August 23, at the request of petitioners seeking to block the burial, mostly victims of Martial Law.

On Wednesday, the parties were ordered to submit their respective memoranda to the court within 20 days, following a second round of oral arguments.

Government lawyers told the high tribunal Marcos’ achievements as a soldier who fought against the Japanese during World War 2 would not be diminished just because he was ousted by the EDSA “People Power” revolt in 1986.

Solicitor General Jose Calida was asked by Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo de Castro if the removal of Marcos from the presidency could be considered as a basis for stripping him of honors, such as the Medal of Valor, as a war hero.

“It is in the position of the State that once it (Medal of Valor) is awarded, it cannot be diminished. It cannot be nullified,” Calida said during the oral arguments.

“Based on military standards, given to a Medal of Valor awardee, former President Marcos fits to the definition of a hero,” Calida added.

Imelda’s pension

 Marcos was awarded the Medal of Valor, the highest Philippine military accolade, in October 1958 for fighting the Japanese forces in Bataan in January 1942.

Proof of gratitude of the Philippine government, said Calida, is the pension given by the State to Marcos’ widow, former first lady and Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos.

Mrs. Marcos has been receiving a P25,000 monthly pension—P20,000 for the former President’s Medal of Valor and P5,000 for his military service—since 1994.

This was not disputed by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).

NHCP Chairwoman Ma. Serena Diokno said her agency only probed the war medals that Marcos allegedly claimed to have received from the United States Army.

For the Commission on Human Rights headed by Jose Luis Martin Gascon, Marcos should be denied a place at the Libingan ng mga Bayani because of rights abuses committed during Martial Law.

“It is our opinion that burying him at the Libingan ng mga Bayani would be contrary to international and national laws with respect to human rights,” said Gascon.

Victims’ pain

 Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno asked government lawyers if allowing the burial would only bring pain to the victims of Martial Law, pointing out that there was no confession or acknowledgement of the abuses during the Marcos regime.

“Aren’t we disacknowledging the pain of the victims by the burial?” Sereno asked.

Calida said mere burial won’t erase the history, and that “hope springs eternal” as regards the healing of human rights victims.

The Marcos family’s lawyer, Hyacinth Rafael-Antonio, said the emotions of the victims have no relevance to the case, as the burial is allowed by military regulations.</s>Through the initiative of the U.S. Pinoys for Good Governance headed by its national chair Atty. Loida Nicolas Lewis, the global protest against burial of Philippines dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos at Libingan Ng Mga Bayani (heroes cemetery) will be held today, Sept. 7, 2016, from 5pm to 6pm at the San Jose Intersection, Beach Road.

This according to Dr. Celia Lamkin, chairperson of USPGG CNMI, Guam, Hawaii ,and American Samoa.

There will be similar protests in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and other U.S. cities, Tokyo, Italy, France , Canada, and other countries on Sept. 7 from 12 noon to 1pm.

“Please wear white T-shirts. If you know of friends, relatives, classmates, or colleagues who were victims of Martial Law, please bring their photos. We will display those pictures during the global protest rally,” said Lamkin. (PR)
The Duterte administration defends its decision to bury the former dictator Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippine heroes' cemetery.