Much ado about Marcos burial

WE ARE wasting so much time and effort debating whether or not it’s good and proper to bury Ferdinand Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani. It’s OK, say some. It’s not so OK, say others. And still others howl: It’s absolutely not OK.

By gum, holy cow, and borrowing President Digong’s favorite expletive, why the hullabaloo over the Marcos burial? The guy has been dead for almost 30 years and his remains, lying in beatific repose in an air-conditioned chamber, have become his hometown’s main tourist attraction in Ilocos Norte. Why disturb his peace by carting his remains hundreds of kilometers away to a location far from the tranquil countryside he grew up in and loved? Those clamoring for his burial in the heroes’ cemetery have a cockeyed view of the way to preserve his memory, and do not really know the man they seek to honor.

The reason for the controversy, I believe, is the fact that the crowd clamoring for a Libingan burial (which is sparse), the crowd howling against it (which is far more numerous), and the referee trying to put order in the confusion are all not functioning on the same page. Consider:

The pros insist that Marcos was a soldier, and ex-president to boot; thus, the card calls for his burial in the cemetery designated as final resting place for fellows like him.

The antis declare that the Libingan ng mga Bayani is primarily reserved for heroes—thus its name—and Marcos was no hero: He had a dubious war record as a soldier, he inflicted untold suffering on thousands of Filipinos, and he raided the nation’s coffers when he was president. He should not be buried in the heroes’ cemetery and profane the memory of the worthies lying there.

The referee is clueless on the deeper implications of the pros’ and antis’ stands and the way to approach them, and so asks off-tangent questions like “How do you define heroes?” or “Who determines who’s a hero?” These questions will not lead to a sensible and soul-satisfying resolution of the debate, which is to bury the issue, not Marcos, once and forever, so that it would not bother us again and divert our mind and energy from the nation’s other, more vital and fundamental, concerns.

I am frankly amazed by the incredible longevity of the Marcos burial in our consciousness. It would vanish from the headlines, seem like dead for some time, then suddenly resurrect at a most inauspicious time—i.e., when everyone who’s not a politician can hardly find time to scratch out a living—and throw the nation into another time-consuming and energy-sapping debate. When will we let go of this tiresome problem, for crying out loud?

Actually, we will stop being held hostage by the Marcos burial right now if we’d all gather on the same page and realize that, besides giving us back the sweet air of democracy, that great national upheaval called the Edsa People Power Revolution of 1986 gifted us with the logic to flatten all justifications, excuses and rationales being thrown about by remnants and stragglers of Marcos’ Kilusang Bagong Lipunan in a final push to get the late dictator in the heroes’ cemetery.

Boys and girls, listen up, here’s what history and simple logic tell us as to why Marcos’ remains cannot move residence to the Libingan ng mga Bayani:

It is the resting place of, among others, soldiers. Marcos was once a soldier, true, but he was discharged dishonorably—by the people at Edsa I—thus voiding his entitlement.

Presidents are, by law, given the honor of being buried there. Marcos was once president, true, but he forfeited this privilege when he was impeached—oh, all right, chased out of Malacañang—by the people during Edsa I.

The heroes’ cemetery is the last resting place of heroes. Marcos is said to be a hero who fought valiantly during World War II, earning for him 27 war medals. But this claim is at best a myth; its authenticity is disputed by a number of his war comrades and by official records. No, that will not do as an acceptable argument for Marcos’ admission into those hallowed grounds.

Just a thought: Rather than insist on burying Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani and cause the dredging up of all the unsavory records of his regime, wouldn’t it be a far better and soul-uplifting option for his family and followers to inter him in a nice knoll overlooking the sea somewhere in the Ilocos—Pagudpud, maybe—and fill the area with flowering plants and bushes and trees that attract colorful butterflies and chirping birds? His family and friends can then build at a respectful distance the “Marcos Presidential Library” and a modest auditorium for musical performances and lectures on Philippine history, heroes and statesmen that he was so fond of, and for other cultural purposes.

I think such an undertaking will serve far better to honor Marcos and function pleasantly and controversy-free to perpetuate his memory than forcing his remains into the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Mart del Rosario ([email protected]) is a retired advertising-PR consultant.