Heroes’ cemetery not exclusive to heroes

ON WHETHER or not the remains of former President Ferdinand Marcos should be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, I, as a former soldier and veteran, am for it. There is no question that President Marcos was a recognized World War II veteran and, as the president of our country, was once the commander in chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Anyway, the Libingan ng mga Bayani is not exclusively for our heroes. One of my military comrades who died in an accident—he was driving a military jeep while heavily intoxicated—is buried there. And so are many soldiers who died of ailment while still in active service or of old age after retirement.

In the last administration, some civilians close to the powers-that-be were reportedly buried there, despite the fact that they were never, even for a moment, a member of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, or that they didn’t die defending our country from its enemies.

I am therefore writing this letter to suggest that the name Libingan ng mga Bayani be changed to just plain Libingan ng mga Kawal Pilipino or simply Military Cemetery. For the real heroes, our soldiers who died in actual combat, let’s just set aside a separate, exclusive, hallowed place for them.

I have already told my next of kin not to bury my remains at the Libingan ng mga Bayani because I feel I don’t deserve to be called a bayani. I have already a burial place for myself in a small town cemetery. A tap on the back is all I deserve for my almost two years of combat missions in Sulu as a member of the elite 1st Scout Ranger regiment hunting the terrorist group of Hadji Kamlon.

I pity the soldiers, mostly Marines, who laid their lives for the country. Not one bright boy in GHQ has come up with the idea to buy a final resting place exclusively reserved for them.

—MAJ. RB MORATA PC (Ret.),
104 Chico St., Comembo,
Fort Bonifacio, Makati City