CPP to Duterte: Don’t mind paying debt to Marcoses

From MindaNews (Nov 12): CPP to Duterte: Don’t mind paying debt to Marcoses

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) has “advised” President Rodrigo Duterte against proceeding with giving a hero’s burial for ousted strongman Ferdinand Marcos “in exchange for financial and political support” from his family during the election.

“The GRP President Duterte must be advised against proceeding with such a plan. Such payment of political debt to the Marcoses will undoubtedly be regarded as an act of contempt against the Filipino people’s historic judgment against the Marcos dictatorship,” the CPP said in a statement dated November 10.

“For sure, the Marcoses would resent such an unfulfilled promise. But such will be incomparable to the deep indignation that will be stirred among the Filipino people,” it said.

The CPP said in giving Marcos a hero’s burial, Duterte “would virtually be spitting on the graves of the tens of thousands of martyrs who laid down their lives in the struggle to end the puppet, brutal and rotten Marcos dictatorship.”

It said the decision has put in question Duterte’s assertion of being a Leftist, as the Marcos dictatorship was an “epitome” of the anti–Left.

“If Duterte allows Marcos’ body to be dug-up from Ilocos Norte and re-interred with hero’s burial, he would have provided the Marcoses with the ultimate act of rehabilitation,” it added.

The CPP said two generations of Filipinos have forgotten “the crimes of the Marcos dictatorship” because textbooks and official teaching in elementary and secondary schools have sanitized his image.

Marcos imposed martial on Sept. 21, 1972, a year before his second and last term as president would end.

He abolished Congress, enforced the 1971 Constitution without the benefit of a plebiscite, and ruled by decree.

Thousands of his opponents and suspected dissidents were either detained or killed. Several others “disappeared” after being arrested by security forces and their bodies have not been found.

President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the request of the Marcos family that the late strongman be buried at the Libingan. Many believed the decision is meant to repay the Marcoses for their supposed campaign support to then candidate Duterte.

Victims of martial law and other groups filed a petition questioning Duterte’s order at the Supreme Court. The petitioners argued that Marcos does not deserve a hero’s burial due to the abuses during his rule.

On Nov. 8, however, the tribunal voted 9-5-1 to dismiss the petitions.

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