MANILA, Philippines (Eagle News) — Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said on Monday, August 15 the overwhelming victory of President Rodrigo R. Duterte in the last elections has superseded the so-called 1992 Agreement not allowing the Burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
In an interview with the Malaca ang media, Panelo explained that President Duterte had repeatedly mentioned during the election campaign that he will allow the Marcos burial at the Heroes’ cemetery.
Panelo was asked by the media if the President will not honor the agreement signed by former President Fidel V. Ramos’ then Executive Secretary Rafael Alunan and the Marcos family in 1992.
The agreement provides conditions that there would be no Marcos burial at Libingan ng mga Bayani; that the Marcos remains will be flown straight from Hawaii to Ilocos Norte; and that the body would not be paraded in Metro Manila.
”It does not bind the President because it was entered into by the previous president. The president has discretion to either uphold or change or modify it,” Panelo explained.
Based on Alunan’s explanation it was done “because of the circumstances at that time.”
Panelo said the government will respect if the anti-Marcos groups would include the 1992 Agreement as supporting document in their petition to stop the heroes’ burial for the former dictator.
”Since there is already a petition before the Supreme Court, as we said, we welcome any opposition. Let the court decide as to the validity of the President’s decision. We will respect whatever the decision of the SC will be,” Panelo said.
He said he heard previous several radio surveys which showed that majority of the Filipinos agreed with President Duterte’s decision to allow the interment of Marcos’ body at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
”What I’m saying is the circumstances are different now because we have given the authority to the President to bury the late President Marcos and the authority is predicated in the overwhelming win by him, given the fact that during the campaign, he repeatedly said he will allow to bury the late President Marcos to put closure to the issue,” Panelo said.
