The Philippine Online Chronicles

After President Benigno Aquino III rejected plans for a hero's burial for the late Ferdinand Marcos, Marcos's Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said that it is now time to move on.

Sen. Marcos said that he will put the issue aside, through statements released through Facebook and Twitter.

According to Sen. Marcos, the issue was “already decided on when the president made the announcement to the foreign media even before telling his own people, informing our family, and his [vice president] to whom he entrusted the task of conducting consultations and deciding on the issue.”

"The report of his VP (Jejomar Binay), as we now know, has been relegated to the trash bin,” he added, referring to the vice president's consultations regarding the matter.

"So, to answer your question, yes we take that as final and will not appeal it,” said Sen. Marcos.

"High moral ground”

Former senator and Ninoy Aquino Movement founding chair Heherson Alvarez described the rejection of a hero's burial for the former president, despite a petition for one from a majority of the members of the House of Representatives, as a courageous move.

"The President reaffirmed the historical fact of Marcos’ dictatorship and the high moral ground on which the President stands on the issue,” Alvarez said in a statement.

"By treating Marcos as a hero, we will be tearing down the historical wall that separates the good from the evil in Philippine politics, and it will reverse the verdict of the Edsa Revolution that brought us to this new point in our democratic quest,” Alvarez said.

On the other hand, Isabela representative Rodolfo Albano hopes that the president will change his mind.

"While it is the President’s decision that will ultimately prevail, we remain hopeful that he will rethink his position and agree to a state burial for former President Marcos for the sake of national unity,” said Albano.

Together with 213 members of the Lower House, Albano co-authored House Resolution 1135 “urging the administration of President Benigno Aquino III to allow the burial of the remains of President Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.”

Albano, however, said he will accept the final decision of the president regarding the matter. "After all, it is the Chief Executive who has the final say on the issue,” he said.