See - A Villain Among Heroes: Marcos' burial in the Cemetery of Heroes ·
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While there are those who support Marcos and those who detest the dictator, the fact remains that he is buried at a cemetery reserved for the heroes of the country. A tyrant and thief‘s remains are buried alongside national artists, soldiers who fought for their country, and leaders who made a difference: does this mean his actions are forgiven? Former president Joseph Estrada argues that what’s done is done, and it’s all a matter of moving on. The Human Rights Victim’s Claims Board (HRVCB) states that the dictator’s burial does not affect the reparation claims of torture victims. The current president and the Supreme Court have ruled that he qualifies to be buried with other heroes. These are just a few political figures who urge the citizens to move on, but is it all really that simple?
Asking for forgiveness means that the other party is sorry for their actions. Despite reparation efforts, there are still over 50,000 human rights violation claims to be resolved almost 30 years after the dictator’s death. The Presidential Commission on Good Governance (PCGG), which was established after the Marcos regime to recover the ill-gotten wealth accumulated by the Marcos family, revealed that senator “Bongbong” Marcos was hindering the distribution of ill-gotten wealth found in an off-shore account in Panama amounting to $40 million USD (Php1. 84 billion). The Marcos family has never even apologized for any of the actions taken by their patriarch and they continue to operate within the country.
Duterte claims to have declared war on corruption, but his approval to bury the Philippine’s most corrupt president in a cemetery for national heroes is inconsistent with his message. Marcos’ presence among Filipino heroes is not only a disgrace to their sacrifices for the country, but a reminder that history can be changed depending on who is in power. While Marcos cannot simply be removed from the grave, although protesters call for the exhuming of his coffin, Filipinos owe it to their country to remember that he does not belong there. Corruption, torture, murder, and plunder are not what a hero is known for. While his body is still there, Filipinos must remember it as “The Cemetery of Heroes and One that was Definitely Not.”
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