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The burial of Ferdinand Marcos, a former
Philippine President The president of the Philippines ( fil, Pangulo ng Pilipinas, sometimes referred to as ''Presidente ng Pilipinas'') is the head of state, head of government and chief executive of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of t ...
who ruled as a dictator for 14 years, took place on November 18, 2016, at the
Libingan ng mga Bayani Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB, , ) is a national cemetery within Fort Andres Bonifacio (formerly Fort William McKinley) in Metro Manila, Philippines. First established in May 1947 as a fitting resting place for Philippine military personnel fro ...
() in
Fort Bonifacio Fort Andres Bonifacio (formerly named Fort William McKinley) is the site of the national headquarters of the Philippine Army (Headquarters Philippine Army or HPA) located in Metro Manila, Philippines. It is located near the national headquarter ...
,
Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the seat of government and one of three defined metropolitan areas in ...
, Philippines. Marcos had been elected the
10th 10 (ten) is the even natural number following 9 and preceding 11. Ten is the base of the decimal numeral system, by far the most common system of denoting numbers in both spoken and written language. It is the first double-digit number. The re ...
President of the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
in 1965, but declared Martial Law in 1972 before his final constitutionally allowed term was over, holding on to power until his overthrow by the
People Power Revolution The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, was a series of popular demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a sustained campaign of c ...
in 1986. The burial of Marcos, who died in 1989, at the Libingan ng mga Bayani has been a controversial issue as objectors, including victims of human rights violations during the dictator's brutal period of rule and participants of the People Power Revolution, have opposed attempts to bury Marcos citing the rampant corruption and cronyism of his administration; its practice of silencing dissent through arrests, disappearances, and torture by the police and military; and his family's infamous
kleptocracy Kleptocracy (from Ancient Greek, Greek κλέπτης ''kléptēs'', "thief", κλέπτω ''kléptō'', "I steal", and -κρατία -''kratía'' from κράτος ''krátos'', "power, rule") is a government whose Corruption, corrupt leaders ...
amounting to an estimated $10 billion worth of stolen money that had earned Ferdinand and his wife Imelda the Guinness World Record for "the Greatest Theft of a Government" (which was eventually deleted by Guinness World Records in the run-up to the 2022 presidential election). Opinion on his burial was split: 50% of the 1,800 respondents of a survey conducted by SWS in February 2016 said Marcos "was worthy to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani" while the other half rejected a hero's burial. There were conflicting claims on where the deceased Marcos wished to be buried. Former Interior Secretary Rafael Alunan III, one of the signatories of an agreement to move Marcos' body from
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...
to the Philippines during the term of then-President
Fidel V. Ramos Fidel Valdez Ramos (, ; March 18, 1928 – July 31, 2022), popularly known as FVR and Eddie Ramos, was a Filipino general and politician who served as the 12th president of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He was the only career military ...
, said that Marcos wished to be buried beside his mother in his hometown in
Batac, Ilocos Norte Batac, officially the City of Batac ( ilo, Siudad ti Batac; fil, Lungsod ng Batac), is a 5th class component city in the province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 55,484 people. Etymology The w ...
, while his wife
Imelda Marcos Imelda Romualdez Marcos (; born Imelda Remedios Visitacion Trinidad Romualdez; July 2, 1929) is a Filipino politician who served as the First Lady of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986, wielding significant political power during the dictato ...
said that his wish was to be buried in Manila insisting that he should be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. Former presidents Corazon Aquino, who had ousted Marcos during the People Power Revolution, and Fidel V. Ramos had opposed moves to bury Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani during their respective terms, while former president
Joseph Estrada Joseph Ejercito Estrada, (; born Jose Marcelo Ejercito; April 19, 1937), also known by the nickname Erap, is a Filipino politician and former actor. He served as the 13th president of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, the 9th vice presi ...
attempted to bury Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani but later canceled the burial. President
Benigno Aquino III Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III (; February 8, 1960 – June 24, 2021), also known as Noynoy Aquino and colloquially as PNoy, was a Filipino politician who served as the 15th president of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016. The son of ...
, Corazon Aquino's son, decided not to allow the body of Marcos to be buried at the cemetery. His successor Rodrigo Duterte, during the campaign period and debates as well as when he had won the presidential election, repeatedly asserted his plans for the burial of the remains, claiming that the act was in accordance with the existing laws of the Philippines and insisting that the burial would be an instrument for the beginning of "nation-wide healing". The plan was met with criticism due to its perceived historical revisionism. After it was delayed on September 13, 2016, then again on October 18 that same year, the Supreme Court permitted, on November 8, Ferdinand Marcos' burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. The burial of Marcos, with
military honors A military funeral is a memorial or burial rite given by a country's military for a soldier, sailor, marine or airman who died in battle, a veteran, or other prominent military figures or heads of state. A military funeral may feature guards ...
, was conducted in a private ceremony on November 18, 2016 and resulted in nationwide protests by groups, sectors, and personalities opposing the burial of Marcos at the state cemetery.


Background


Transfer of Marcos' body from Hawaii

After Ferdinand Marcos died in 1989, his family attempted to bring his remains from
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...
to the Philippines but the administration President Corazon Aquino imposed a ban against the entry of Marcos' remains into the country. This was lifted on October 9, 1991, by Aquino on the condition that Marcos' burial would not be used for political purposes and on the condition that the body of Marcos be flown directly to Laoag. Aquino's executive secretary Franklin Drilon said that a "hero's burial" would be allowed if held in Marcos' home province instead of Manila. Imelda Marcos, the wife of Ferdinand Marcos opposed the move saying that the dying wish of her husband was to be buried in Manila. In January 1992, the Philippine government stated that it may not oppose the burial of Marcos anywhere in
Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the seat of government and one of three defined metropolitan areas in ...
provided that Marcos' body was flown into the country after the 1992 Philippine election in May. The Marcos family opposed the condition and was waiting for a ruling of the Supreme Court at that time regarding their petition to bury Ferdinand Marcos as soon as possible. The transfer of Marcos' body would not be done until the administration of President
Fidel V. Ramos Fidel Valdez Ramos (, ; March 18, 1928 – July 31, 2022), popularly known as FVR and Eddie Ramos, was a Filipino general and politician who served as the 12th president of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He was the only career military ...
. It was during Ramos' term that a memorandum of agreement was made between the government and the Marcos family in 1992. There were four conditions agreed by both parties: #The remains of Ferdinand Marcos were to be flown directly from the US state of Hawaii to the province of
Ilocos Norte Ilocos Norte, officially the Province of Ilocos Norte ( ilo, Probinsia ti Ilocos Norte; tl, Lalawigan ng Ilocos Norte), is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region. Its capital is Laoag City, located in the northwest corner ...
. #Military honors for someone with the rank of major were to be given to Marcos. This was the last rank to be held by Marcos during his service with the Armed Forces of the Philippines. #No parade displaying Marcos' body was to be held in Metro Manila. #Marcos' body was not to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani but in Ilocos Norte. According to Rafael Alunan III, former Interior Secretary and one of the signatories of the agreement, the third clause was agreed upon due to "wounds
hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
were still fresh in the minds of many people" and to avoid potential instability. He also said that the former President Marcos wanted to be buried beside his mother in Batac, Ilocos Norte. Also according to Alunan, after the signing of the agreement, Imelda Marcos crossed out the burial clause and wrote in that Marcos was to be "temporarily interred" instead of being buried in Ilocos Norte. Alunan said that the terms of agreement could not be changed after it was signed but Mrs. Marcos insisted and came up with a new agreement paper with the changed clause. The revised paper was not signed by the government. It was on September 7, 1993, that the body of Ferdinand Marcos was flown into the Philippines. From Hawaii the body was flown to
Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
then to Laoag in Ilocos Norte. The body of Marcos was not buried but was instead preserved in a refrigerated crypt hosted inside the Ferdinand E. Marcos Presidential Center. In Honolulu, Hawaii, Marcos' body was also stored in a refrigerated crypt.


Cancelled 1998 Libingan ng mga Bayani burial

Ramos' successor
Joseph Estrada Joseph Ejercito Estrada, (; born Jose Marcelo Ejercito; April 19, 1937), also known by the nickname Erap, is a Filipino politician and former actor. He served as the 13th president of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, the 9th vice presi ...
attempted to organize a burial of Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. Then President-elect Estrada had negotiations with Marcos' wife Imelda who initially also demanded state honors for the burial but later agreed to a burial without state honors. It was determined that Marcos would be buried on July 11, 1998. The planned burial of Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani still received opposition even after state honors were not to be included in the planned burial. Former President Corazon Aquino was among those who opposed the move. Estrada remained firm on his decision until July 1998 when Estrada decided against the plan amidst public opposition saying that it would be better if the Marcos family agreed that Ferdinand Marcos be buried in Batac to put an end to "bitter differences" and give rest to "various emotions and sentiments that flared up".


2011 Batac burial recommendation

In April 2011, then President Benigno Aquino III tasked then Vice President
Jejomar Binay Jejomar "Jojo" Cabauatan Binay Sr. (born Jesus Jose Cabauatan Binay; November 11, 1942) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 13th vice president of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016, under President Benigno Aquino III. A h ...
to study whether to bury Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani or not. The Office of the Vice President received 3,000 responses from various political parties, sectors, organizations, and members of the public on the issue. Binay recommended the burial of Marcos in his hometown of Batac with full military honors. Aquino did not act on the recommendation.


Presidency of Rodrigo Duterte and plans for the Burial

Rodrigo Duterte supported the burial of Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, even before he assumed presidency and expressed this stance at his presidential campaign in the
2016 elections The following elections occurred in the year 2016. Africa Benin Republic * 2016 Beninese presidential election 6 March 2016 Cape Verde * 2016 Cape Verdean presidential election 2 October 2016 Chad * 2016 Chadian presidential election 1 ...
. Duterte has expressed that a burial of Marcos at the site would commence the "healing" of the Philippines and pointed out Marcos' idealism and vision for the country through his projects which "stood the test of time" and that Marcos' dictatorship "remains to be debated". Duterte previously stated that Marcos could have been the best president if not for the abuses during the Martial law period under Marcos' watch. At the Visayas leg of the
PiliPinas Debates 2016 ''PiliPinas Debates 2016'' is a debate series administered by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) with the assistance of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas in preparation for the May 9, 2016 general election. In January 2016, the Comm ...
, Duterte and fellow candidate
Jejomar Binay Jejomar "Jojo" Cabauatan Binay Sr. (born Jesus Jose Cabauatan Binay; November 11, 1942) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 13th vice president of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016, under President Benigno Aquino III. A h ...
expressed their support for a Marcos burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.


2016 burial


Announcement and rationale

On August 7, 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte gave the order to bury former President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani saying that Marcos was qualified to be buried at the cemetery due to being a "former president and a soldier". Duterte said he was open to demonstrations against the burial plan but insisted that the former president was qualified to be buried at the cemetery. He also added that the burial date may be moved to September 11 which was the birthday of the deceased president. Amidst criticism that Marcos did not deserve to be buried at the cemetery, Duterte said that burying Marcos at the site did not equate to Marcos being a "hero in the true sense of the word". He pointed out that former soldiers and presidents are allowed to be buried at the cemetery and that he would be violating the law if he did not push through with the burial and added that the previous administrations should have passed a law to bar Marcos from being buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. Duterte said he doesn't care about the dispute regarding the authenticity of Marcos' war medals and the non-appearance of Marcos' alleged World War II service in United States records. While at Peru attending the 2016 APEC Summit during the burial day, he even said of Marcos: “Whether or not he performed worse or better, there is no study, there is no movie about it. It's just the challenges and allegations of the other side, which is not enough.” These insinuations however were disputed by many individuals and organizations - providing an exhaustive list of books, movies among other related media, about Marcos and/or Martial Law.


"''Ilibing Na''" ("Bury now") PR campaign

In 2018, Dr. Jason Cabañes of the
University of Leeds , mottoeng = And knowledge will be increased , established = 1831 – Leeds School of Medicine1874 – Yorkshire College of Science1884 - Yorkshire College1887 – affiliated to the federal Victoria University1904 – University of Leeds , ...
School of Media and Communication and Dr. Jonathan Corpus Ong of the
University of Massachusetts Amherst The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst, UMass) is a public research university in Amherst, Massachusetts and the sole public land-grant university in Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Founded in 1863 as an agricultural college, ...
released a study of organized
disinformation Disinformation is false information deliberately spread to deceive people. It is sometimes confused with misinformation, which is false information but is not deliberate. The English word ''disinformation'' comes from the application of the L ...
efforts in the Philippines, titled "''Architects of Networked Disinformation: Behind the Scenes of Troll Accounts and Fake News Production in the Philippines.''" Based on participant observation in Facebook community groups and Twitter accounts, as well as key informant interviews with 20 "disinformation architects," conducted from December 2016 to December 2017, the study described a "professionalized and hierarchized group of political operators who design disinformation campaigns, mobilize click armies, and execute innovative “digital black ops” and “signal scrambling” techniques for any interested political client."https://newtontechfordev.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/ARCHITECTS-OF-NETWORKED-DISINFORMATION-FULL-REPORT.pdfhttps://newtontechfordev.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/ARCHITECTS-OF-NETWORKED-DISINFORMATION-FULL-REPORT.pdf This network had “ad and PR strategists at the top.” Ong and Cabañes' 2018 study uncovered the existence of a "''Ilibing Na''" ("Bury now") campaign designed to create public support for a hero's burial for Ferdinand Marcos using "diversionary tactics to elude allegations of
human rights violations Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hum ...
and corruption during the term of Ferdinand Marcos" and launching "digital black ops that targeted prominent critics” of the Marcoses, particularly vice president Leni Robredo." The study also revealed that these networks had previously launched a "personal branding" campaign meant to "tell a revisionist account of the 20-year Marcos regime as 'the golden age of the Philippines'" using such tools as YouTube videos "in a bid to restore the political luster of the Marcos family."


Supreme Court decision

Marcos was originally scheduled to be buried on September 13 then October 18 after the oral arguments on petitions to stop the burial. Eventually, on November 8, the Supreme Court of the Philippines allowed Marcos to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani with the votes of 9–5, with one abstention dismissing the status quo ante imposed to block attempts to bury Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani.


Concurring opinion

The concurring judges said that the Supreme Court cannot decide on the matter since it is a political question which was deemed not justiciable. They argue that President Duterte did not abuse his discretion when he allowed the burial of Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. It was noted that the petitioners failed to specify a specific law that was allegedly violated by proceeding the burial. The majority of the judges disagreed with the dissenting opinion that Marcos is disqualified to be buried at the said site due to Marcos' ouster following the
People Power Revolution The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, was a series of popular demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a sustained campaign of c ...
, which the dissenters consider as an act of Marcos being dishonorably discharged. It was noted that while Marcos was also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the position is not a military position and the particular clause in the 1987 Constitution which gave the designation to Marcos only enshrines the principle of supremacy of civilian authority over the military. It was concluded that Marcos could not be prosecuted before the court martial therefore he could not be "dishonorably discharged, reverted or separated" under the AFP Regulations G 161–1375. Marcos ouster through the People Power Revolution is judged to be extra-constitutional and direct sovereign act of the people which was concluded to be outside the scope of the court. Marcos was also found not to have convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude and court cases cited by the petitioners abroad were decided to have no bearing due to the cases being civil in nature. It was added that it's up to the people to decide on the matter. The concurring judges also clarified that the court is exercising judicial restraint on an issue they say is "truly political in nature" and that the resulting stigma of Ferdinand Marcos' martial law regime will "not be forgotten by the Filipino people" and Marcos' burial at the cemetery "will not rewrite history".


Dissenting opinion

De facto Chief Justice Maria Lourdes P. A. Sereno said that the burial disregards both international and domestic laws with regards to giving justice to victims of human rights abuses during Marcos' term. The Philippine government was noted to have an obligation to provide compensations to the victims, both monetary and non-monetary, the latter of which includes symbolic reparation. The burial of Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani was deemed by the dissenters as contrary to symbolic reparation entitled to the victims. By allowing the burial, President Duterte was "encouraging impunity". Marcos was described as "a dictator forced out of office and into exile after causing twenty years of political, economic, and social havoc in the country". Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio argued that Marcos' ouster following the People Power Revolution disqualified him from being buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani even if the claim of him being awarded the Medal of Valor is indisputable since he was deposed by the "sovereign action of the people", which was described as "the strongest form of dishonorable discharge from office".


Preparation

Following the Supreme Court decision, preparations for the burial commenced. Ilocos Norte Governor and daughter of Ferdinand Marcos,
Imee Marcos Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios "Imee" Romualdez Marcos (; born November 12, 1955) is a Filipina politician and former actress serving as a Senator since 2019. She is the daughter of Ferdinand Marcos and former first lady Imelda Marcos and the o ...
said that the burial will be done with "simple rites like an ordinary soldier", and insisted that the event will not be a state funeral but a "funeral for a soldier" which she said her father wished for. She also added that the family was willing to airlift the former President's remains from Batac to
Fort Bonifacio Fort Andres Bonifacio (formerly named Fort William McKinley) is the site of the national headquarters of the Philippine Army (Headquarters Philippine Army or HPA) located in Metro Manila, Philippines. It is located near the national headquarter ...
. Santa Monica Church in
Sarrat Sarrat, officially the Municipality of Sarrat ( ilo, Ili ti Sarrat; fil, Bayan ng Sarrat), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 25,186 people. The town is ...
, the Immaculate Conception Church in Batac, and the Saint Augustine Church in
Paoay Paoay, officially the Municipality of Paoay ( ilo, Ili ti Paoay; fil, Bayan ng Paoay), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 25,001 people. The town is hom ...
were earlier prepared for the wake for former President Marcos before the burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.


Burial

The Philippine National Police were informed on the night of November 17, 2016, that the burial will take place the day after. The police confirmed the scheduled burial in the morning of November 18. The November 18 burial was scheduled to take place at noon. The remains of Ferdinand Marcos were airlifted from Ilocos Norte at 9:00 a.m. (
UTC+8 UTC+08:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +08:00. With an estimated population of 1.708 billion living within the time zone, roughly 24% of the world population, it is the most populous time zone in the world, as well as a ...
) and were brought to the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Fort Bonifacio in Metro Manila. Marcos was then buried in his grave at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in a burial ceremony closed to the public. Marcos' wife
Imelda Marcos Imelda Romualdez Marcos (; born Imelda Remedios Visitacion Trinidad Romualdez; July 2, 1929) is a Filipino politician who served as the First Lady of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986, wielding significant political power during the dictato ...
and his children were in attendance, as well as the late president's only living sibling at the time, Fortuna Marcos-Barba. About a hundred were in attendance including personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and reportedly PNP Chief
Ronald dela Rosa Ronald Marapon dela Rosa (born January 21, 1962), also known as Bato, is a Filipino politician and retired police officer who is currently serving as a senator of the Philippines since 2019. He served under the Duterte administration as the ...
. Military honors were given including a
21-gun salute A 21-gun salute is the most commonly recognized of the customary gun salutes that are performed by the firing of cannons or artillery as a military honor. As naval customs evolved, 21 guns came to be fired for heads of state, or in exceptiona ...
during the rites. There was no public announcement of the burial plan, and the public only became aware of the plan shortly before the burial. The Marcos family requested the government to conduct the burial in private, and confidentially. A budget was allocated by the government on the burial and the exceeding budget reportedly will be shouldered by the Marcoses. No exact figures regarding the budget allocated for the burial rites were disclosed. Ferdinand Marcos was buried in a marble finished tomb with a cauldron that has a flame burning inside.


Reactions and Protests


Public opinion about the Burial

A poll conducted by the
Social Weather Stations The Social Weather Stations or SWS is a social research institution in the Philippines founded in August 1985. It is a private, non-stock, nonprofit institution. It is the foremost public-opinion polling body in the Philippines. As an independent ...
(SWS) in March 2011 showed that opinion is split. The same trend appears in a follow up poll by SWS in February 2016. However, the audience of the 2016 poll was validated voters, as opposed to anyone aged 18 years and above (as was the case in the 2011 poll).


Political reactions against the Burial

On July 17, 2016, a group of people participated in a protest run around the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City led by Fr. Robert Reyes."'Marcos' burial as a hero a terrible insult to history'"
''Philippine Daily Inquirer''.
Reyes said, "whom, in the minds of martial law victims, is a traitor and dictator, is a terrible insult to history and the country itself." About 2,000 people protested against the burial plans, saying that Marcos was not a hero; organizers clarified that the protests were not against the Duterte administration itself, but were targeted towards the burial plan. An initiative called Bawat Bato () was launched, urging those who oppose the plan to dump stones with names of victims of abuses during the Martial Law era of Ferdinand Marcos or a personal message at the proposed site of the burial of Marcos within the Libingan ng mga Bayani. On September 30, Ateneo de Manila University wrote a memorandum, stating that the students should wear black T-shirts on
UAAP Season 79 UAAP Season 79 (also known as UAAP LXXIX) is the 2016–2017 athletic year of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP). This season, hosted by the University of Santo Tomas officially opened on September 3, 2016. The opening c ...
to protest the Marcos burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. On November 6, Former President
Benigno Aquino III Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III (; February 8, 1960 – June 24, 2021), also known as Noynoy Aquino and colloquially as PNoy, was a Filipino politician who served as the 15th president of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016. The son of ...
described the burial as a "desecration" of the Libingan ng mga Bayani. The next day, Aquino briefly joined the crowd at the Luneta for the "Pray for 8" event, a prayer rally calling at least eight justices of the Supreme Court to vote against the interment of Marcos. Former DILG secretary Mar Roxas and senator
Francis Pangilinan Francis Pancratius "Kiko" Nepomuceno Pangilinan (; born August 24, 1963) is a Filipino lawyer, politician, and farm owner who served as a Senator from 2001 to 2013 and from 2016 to 2022. He was the Senate Majority Leader from 2004 to 2008. A ...
later joined the group. On November 11, the martial law victims filed a
temporary injunction An injunction is a legal and equitable remedy in the form of a special court order that compels a party to do or refrain from specific acts. ("The court of appeals ... has exclusive jurisdiction to enjoin, set aside, suspend (in whole or in par ...
against the burial before the Supreme Court. Various groups and sectors also joined the rally, protesting the burial. On November 12, hundreds of people, protesting the burial, participated in the run at the
University of the Philippines Diliman , image = University of The Philippines seal.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = Official Logo of UP Diliman , motto = Honor and Excellence , established = February 12, 194 ...
. Lawyers and law students wore black T-shirts November 13 and rallied in front of the
University of Santo Tomas The University of Santo Tomas (also known as UST and officially as the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, Manila) is a private, Catholic research university in Manila, Philippines. Founded on April 28, 1611, by Spanish friar Migue ...
where the bar exams held. The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) called on November 14 for widespread demonstrations across the country, hoping to discourage President Rodrigo Duterte from proceeding the burial. On November 16, the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas (Council of the Laity of the Philippines) calls the planned hero's burial of Marcos "barefaced disrespect". In
Cebu City Cebu City, officially the City of Cebu ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Sugbo; fil, Lungsod ng Cebu; hil, Dakbanwa sang Sugbo), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines and capital of the Cebu Province. Acc ...
, a day before the burial, an effigy of Marcos, the same look as he kept in a refrigerated mausoleum, was displayed in a garbage cart, deserving to put as a garbage said by at least 500 members of militant groups. Retired Judge Mienrado Paredes, who is among the person jailed during the martial law, said that "the real heroes are the people. Marcos was garbage in history. He is not a hero." On November 18, the day of Marcos burial, various groups gathered in some places. Among those who gathered to oppose the burial was a group of youth. The League of Filipino Students described the transfer of Marcos remains for the eventually successful burial the former president as being done like "a thief in the night." They also criticized the government's involvement in the burial of the former president which they describe as a " fascist dictator". Vice President Robredo expressed disappointment stating that "like a thief in the night, the Marcos family deliberately hid the information of burying former President Marcos today from the Filipino people." Students from various universities and other groups joined the protest held across the country including
Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the seat of government and one of three defined metropolitan areas in ...
,
Cebu City Cebu City, officially the City of Cebu ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Sugbo; fil, Lungsod ng Cebu; hil, Dakbanwa sang Sugbo), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines and capital of the Cebu Province. Acc ...
,
Davao City Davao City, officially the City of Davao ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Dabaw; ), is a first class highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of , making it the largest city in the Philippines in terms of lan ...
, etc. Senator Franklin Drilon gave a statement about the burial, "like what Marcos did for 21 years, he caught us off-guard like a thief in the night. His burial is anything but noble. Even in death, he is a thief." Senator
Risa Hontiveros Ana Theresia Navarro Hontiveros-Baraquel (; born February 24, 1966) is a Filipino politician, community leader, and journalist who has been serving as a senator of the Philippines since 2016. She previously served as a party-list representa ...
, who opposed the burial, said that "no hero's burial can erase the historical fact of Marcos' atrocities." Senator
Aquilino Pimentel III Aquilino Martin de la Llana Pimentel III (born January 20, 1964), commonly known as Koko Pimentel, is a Filipino politician and lawyer serving as the Senate Minority Leader since 2022. He has been a Senator since 2011 and previously served as ...
said the burial was a "sad development." Former President
Fidel Ramos Fidel Valdez Ramos (, ; March 18, 1928 – July 31, 2022), popularly known as FVR and Eddie Ramos, was a Filipino general and politician who served as the 12th president of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He was the only career military ...
criticized the burial of the late president, describing it as "a step backward". On November 25, 2016, the day called by the protestors "National Day of Unity and Rage" and "Black Friday", various groups in the country held
mass demonstration A political demonstration is an action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause or people partaking in a protest against a cause of concern; it often consists of walking in a mass march formati ...
s in the afternoon. Left-leaning groups called on President Duterte to end his alliance with Marcoses. Anti-Marcos protestors and Marcos loyalists started a debate on the issue after the two sides made an encounter. Maria Serena Diokno, chairperson of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) submitted her resignation on November 29, 2016, in protest of the Marcos burial. She said that the burial "erases the memory of the lives lost and destroyed" during the Ferdinand Marcos administration and that it " mocks the collective action the Filipinos" took to remove Marcos from his post as president. She added that Duterte could have taken a "higher ground" by disallowing the burial despite the Supreme Court decision not to stop the then burial plan. She also praised the youth who expressed their opposition to the burial which she described as an act "in defense of History" and said she would personally join mass demonstrations scheduled on November 30, 2016. Her resignation was effective on December 1, 2016. Thousands of protesters gathered again on November 30, Bonifacio Day, at the People Power Monument in
Quezon City Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 2,960,048 people. It was fou ...
. On December 10, about 11,000 protesters marched on the streets in
Capiz Capiz, officially the Province of Capiz (Capiznon/ Hiligaynon: ''Kapuoran sang Capiz''; tl, Lalawigan ng Capiz), is a province in the Philippines located in the central section of Western Visayas region. Its capital is the city of Roxas. It ...
,
Iloilo Iloilo (), officially the Province of Iloilo ( hil, Kapuoran sang Iloilo; krj, Kapuoran kang Iloilo; tl, Lalawigan ng Iloilo), is a province in the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is the City of Iloilo, the ...
, Bacolod,
Aklan Aklan, officially the Province of Aklan ( Akeanon: ''Probinsya it Akean'' k'ɣan hil, Kapuoran sang Aklan; tl, Lalawigan ng Aklan), is a province in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. Its capital is Kalibo. The province is situa ...
, and
Cebu Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 16 ...
, commemorating
Human Rights Day Human Rights Day is celebrated annually around the world on 10 December every year. The date was chosen to honor the United Nations General Assembly's adoption and proclamation, on 10 December 1948, of the Universal Declaration of Human Right ...
. On the night of December 15, about 150 members of a group called Coalition against Marcos Burial gathered at the People Power Monument to attend the mass. Thousands of people also celebrated the 31st anniversary of 1986 People Power Revolution on February 25, 2017, with protests.


Reactions from Philippine Catholic church leaders

2013–2017 Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop
Socrates Villegas Sócrates Buenaventura Villegas (born September 28, 1960) is a Filipino prelate, and a professed member of the Dominican Order, He is the current Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan in Pangasinan, and is the former president of the Catholic Bisho ...
, a protégé of late Manila Archbishop Jamie Sin during EDSA 1986, said through text to Rappler, on the same day, that he is saddened with the decision and "the burial is an insult to the EDSA spirit". Villegas also stated that he backed the anti-Marcos protests, making him much hated by many Filipinos for his actions, with people claiming that the church should not interfere with state issues. Unlike Villegas, then- Lipa Archbishop
Ramon Arguelles Ramón Cabrera Argüelles, D.D. A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity. In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University ...
, who was still the sitting Lipa Archbishop, called on Filipinos for prayers and forgiveness for the Marcos family, encouraging pro and anti-Marcos groups to pray for Marcos' soul, while condemning groups calling for exhumation with the words "give the dead peace, respect Marcos' body". Manila Archbishop Cardinal
Luis Antonio Tagle Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle ( ; ; born June 21, 1957) is a Filipino prelate of the Catholic Church currently serving as the Pro-Prefect for the Section of Evangelization of Dicastery for Evangelization (formerly the Congregation for the Evangel ...
remained silent on the burial and instead chose to offer prayers for the Marcos family and the Filipinos. The late Leopoldo S. Tumulak of the
Military Ordinariate of the Philippines The Military Ordinariate of the Philippines is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or military ordinariate of the Catholic Church in the Philippines serving the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, and the Phil ...
echoed the same sentiments of Arguelles.


See also

*
Unexplained wealth of the Marcos family The Marcos family, a political family in the Philippines, owns various assets that Philippine courts have determined to have been acquired through ilicit means during the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos from 1965–1986.Tiongson-Mayrina, Karen and ...
*
Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship The dictatorship of Philippine President Ferdinand E. Marcos in the 1970s and 1980s is historically remembered for its record of human rights abuses, particularly targeting political opponents, student activists, journalists, religious workers, ...


References

{{Rodrigo Duterte 2016 in the Philippines 2016 controversies 2016 in international relations 2016 in Asia 2016 in politics 2016 in law 2016 protests Ferdinand Marcos Duterte administration controversies Protests in the Philippines November 2016 events in the Philippines