The Philippine Online Chronicles

A new study by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) has found that about half of Filipinos surveyed believe that the late president Ferdinand Marcos should be buried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani, the final resting place of Filipino heroes and national artists.

Marcos died back in 1989 following the toppling of his 25-year dictatorial regime by the first People Power Revolution. His body has since been preserved and is available for viewing in a mausoleum in his hometown of Batac, Ilocos Norte. Earlier this month, a controversial resolution signed by 216 congressmen was put forward asking that Marcos’ remains be buried with honors among the other national heroes.

When the SWS asked, 'In your opinion, is the body of ex-President Marcos worthy to be buried in the Heroes Cemetery or not?,' 50 percent of respondents answered he was Worthy to be buried in the Heroes Cemetery, while 49 percent answered he was Not Worthy. 1 percent had no answer.

The SWS further asked those who said he was worthy if they thought Marcos, “deserved a burial with official honors or a private burial only." 30 percent said he should be "buried with official honors" and 20 percent said it should be a "private burial only."

The March 2011 Social Weather Survey used data from face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults across the country.

Among the groups which have expressed strong opposition to bury Marcos in the Heroes Cemetery was the Alliance of Ex-detainees against Detention and Arrest.

“We find this grossly unacceptable and a travesty of history,” said alliance head Marie Hilao-Enriquez.

“It makes a mockery of the horrors that the Filipino people endured during the martial law era: plunder, numerous human rights violations including summary executions, disappearances, torture, illegal arrests and detention,” she said.

Former Senator John Osmeña added that it was ironic to consider burying Marcos in the Heroes Cemetery when Evelio Javier, an oppositionist assassinated in 1986, was buried in a regular graveyard in San Jose de Buenavista, Antique.

“His martyrdom and funeral was one of the events that led to the EDSA people power revolution,” Osmeña said.

On the other hand, certain government officials have said they supported the burial.

Senator Antonio Trillanes said over the weekend that he supported the burial as the late former Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes had also been lain to restat the Heroes Cemetery. Reyes had committed suicide in the midst of corruption charges.

“To be consistent, we should allow the former president to be buried there,” Trillanes said. “It’s time we move on. Let us get it over and done with so we can unite and move forward.”

Representative Alfredo Abelardo Benitez of the 3^rd District of Negros Occidental has also said that Marcos should be buried in the Heroes Cemetery because he had fought in World War II.