Palace: PNoy said no to Marcos burial at Libingan ng Mga Bayani

President Benigno Aquino III has already spoken that late former president Ferdinand Marcos' burial will not be at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani (national heroes' cemetery) in Taguig City, Malacañang said Saturday. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte stressed this a day after Aquino said Marcos’ burial at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani was out of the question. On Friday, Aquino told The Associated Press he had ruled out a burial for Marcos at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani. “Not during my watch," the President was quoted as saying. "Klaro na po yung sinabi ni Pangulong Aquino," said Valte on government radio dzRB. At the exclusive AP interview, Aquino also revealed that he was finalizing a decision on Vice President Jejomar Binay's proposal to bury the dictator with military honors in his hometown in Ilocos, Valte said. Except for the issue of whether Marcos was given full military honors when his remains were brought to the Philippines in 1993, there is nothing much to do but to bury him, Valte added. "From the time na naiuwi sa bansa ang mga labi ni dating Pangulong Marcos, mayroon po kasing nagsasabing nabigyan na po siya ng military honors. Mayroon naman pong nagsasabing hindi pa," said Valte. According to her, if military honors were already given, there is no reason to bestow them again on Marcos. Malacañang earlier said that there is no urgency in issuing a decision on Binay's recommendations. "This issue can wait," said Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang last Thursday. Controversial A total of 193 lawmakers have signed House Resolution 1135 urging Aquino to allow the burial of the late strongman at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. Private national research and consulting firm surveyed 250 respondents and found that some seven out of 10 (71.6 percent) Metro Manila residents to favor Marcos burial at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani. Meanwhile, seven progressive lawmakers have filed House Resolution 1297, saying "Marcos does not deserve a hero’s burial" after he committed “gross crimes against humanity, plunged the nation deeper into debt and foreign control and plundered the nation’s resources" during his 20-year term. An organization of former political prisoners during Martial Law has also criticized the plan to give full military honors, saying it is an insult to human rights victims. Those allowed to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani are military personnel who died in line of duty or were honorably discharged, Filipino veterans, former presidents, government dignitaries, statesmen and national artists. Marcos was ousted in a bloodless revolt that catapulted Aquino’s late mother Corazon to the presidency in 1986. He died in Hawaii in 1989. His remains were brought to his northern Philippine hometown in Batac in Ilocos Norte in 1993. Earlier, Aquino had Binay study the issue of Marcos’ burial after receiving conflicting opinions on the matter. — LBG, GMA News