MANILA, Philippines - The government has encouraged all Filipinos; Registered political parties, civic groups and people's organisations to air their sentiment to the proposed burial of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the national heroes' cemetery through text messages and email, a TV report said.Vice President Jejomar Binay said, the views of all sectors and groups are encouraged to participate in the decision-making.
His office is "collating the opinions of various groups on the issue, said Binay, adding he has until next month to make a recommendation to President Benigno Aquino. So far only 3,000 Filipinos worldwide have responded to a survey on the issue, Binay said- Earlier, Aquino asked Binay to handle the issue, adding he could not make a decision on the proposal of the Marcos family.
- "He doesn't want to be accused of bias. His family was a victim of the Marcos regime and to render a decision (on Marcos burial as a hero) would be easily done by him. But he wants to tell the public that ‘I am holding my judgment and passing it on to the vice-president because I don't want to appear to be biased in the,'" said spokesman Edwin Lacierda.
In 1983, Aquino's father, former Senator Benigno Aquino was shot by Marcos aides at the foot of a service stairway of the China Airlines plane, at the international airport when the former arrived from exile in the US.- Marcos death sparked a strong anti-Marcos sentiment. A people-backed military mutiny ousted Marcos and propped to power Mrs. Corazon Aquino to the presidency in 1986. Mrs. Aquino openly said then that Marcos had ordered the killing of her husband.
Marcos was accused of plunder and human rights violations but cases were not filed against him because he and his family left for the US. Marcos died while living in exile in Hawaii in 1989.
His surviving family members were allowed to return in 1990; his remains in 1992, during the time of former President Fidel Ramos.At the time, the Marcoses were barred from bringing the remains of the former strongman in Manila. Instead, they were kept in a family-owned mausoleum, now a tourist attraction in northern Luzon.
When Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr, was elected senator in 2010, he asked President Aquino for the burial of the former dictator at the National Heroes Cemetery.A survey done by private Social Weather Stations from March 4 to 7 showed that 50 percent have agreed and 49 percent disagreed with the burial of Marcos as a hero.
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