Lacierda lashes back at Bongbong for Cory abuses claim

Malacañang on Monday lashed back at Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong" Marcos Jr. for saying that human rights violations were also committed during the term of the late President Corazon Aquino, saying it is a deliberate attempt to cover up the abuses of his father. At a press briefing, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said Mrs. Aquino’s administration had no state policy on the oppression of human rights while there had been an outcry of human rights violations during the time of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos. “The facts speak for themselves. There’s a judgment against the Marcoses in a foreign court. There had been an outcry of human rights violations. These things have not been resolved until the present time and so I think there is a deliberate diversion of issues by Senator Bongbong Marcos," he said. Lacierda said it is inconceivable for Mrs. Aquino, whose husband, Sen. Benigno “Ninoy" Aquino Jr., was assassinated during Marcos’ time, to advance human rights violations. “That’s clearly not within the dictionary of the Aquino family," he said. He also noted that a state burial was offered for Mrs. Aquino, who died in August 2009, but her family refused to accept it. The word war between Sen. Marcos and Malacañang started last week when Mrs. Aquino’s son, incumbent President Benigno Aquino III, said there will be no state burial for former President Marcos under his watch as it would be an injustice to the victims of martial law. Favoritism Over the weekend, Sen. Marcos, in a post on his Facebook account, accused Lacierda of favoritism, saying the Palace official is more concerned about the human rights victims during the martial law but does not care much for the victims during Mrs. Aquino’s time. Lacierda said he understands the position of the senator. “Obviously, there’s a lot of hero worship going on and that’s understandable. He worships his father and we perfectly understand the situation where the Marcoses are coming from. But insofar as our decision has been laid out, it’s firm that the President does not intend to confer state honors or a state burial to the [late] President," he said. Apologies Asked if President would reconsider his decision once the Marcoses apologize for the atrocities, Lacierda said they should not be asked that question. “Your question presupposes that they are willing to apologize. We have to step back a little further than that. You should ask them perhaps: are you willing to apologize? Rather than saying that if the Marcoses will apologize because the burden or the onus is on them and not on this administration," he said. Lacierda earlier challenged the Marcoses to apologize first to human rights victims during the martial law years before the government could consider granting the late dictator a state burial. — KBK, GMA News