AFP RULES QUALIFY MARCOS FOR LIBINGAN BURIAL, SAYS DND CHIEF
MANILA, JUNE 8, 2011 (TRIBUNE) By Mario J. Mallari - Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV are not against the burial of former strongman Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, stressing that existing regulations qualify the late president to be buried at the site.
"Just to be consistent with the policy, we should bury former President Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. We should not discriminate. Its either we do away with the policy or we craft a new one but we can never be selective," said Trillanes at a get-together lunch with Camp Aguinaldo reporters.
"That's my position, I won't mind actually. I am not the overly-sentimental type. The person has long been dead, I don't think it really matters to anybody's interpretation of history on where he would be buried," added Trillanes.
Trillanes pointed out that, when time comes, he would not mind if former President Arroyo, who is blamed for his and other members of the mutinous Magdalo group's incarceration for at least seven years, would be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani as a former president and commander in chief.
"In the future, for instance, there would be debates on where to bury President GMA (Arroyo's initials), I don't mind. I am not wishing ill of anybody, I am not the vindictive-type…my point is that we who suffer a lot from the previous administration are willing to do away with such sentimentalities," said Trillanes.
Trillanes was among the core leaders of the Magdalo group that launched the short-lived mutiny at the Oakwood Apartments in Mankati City on July 27, 2003 to demand the resignation of Arroyo for alleged corruption. Trillanes was also involved in the November 2007 siege of the Manila Peninsula Hotel.
Trillanes explained that burying Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani will not, in any away, affect anybody's interpretation of history.
"But the fact is former President Marcos is a former soldier and that place is also reserved for soldiers. He has served this country and that cannot be negated by activities which actually are still subjective for some," said Trillanes.
For his part, Gazmin cited the existing policy of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) under Regulation 161-375 issued in 2000.
Gazmin said that based on the AFP regulation those qualified to be interred in the Libingan ng mga Bayani are Medal of Valor awardees, presidents or commanders in chiefs, secretaries of national defense, chiefs of staff, generals and flag officers of the AFP, active and retired military personnel to include draftees and trainees and Cafgu active auxiliary who died in combat operations, former members of the AFP who laterally entered or joined the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine National Police, veterans of Philippine revolution of 1890, World War I, World War II and recognized guerrillas, government dignitaries, statesmen, national artists and other deceased persons whose interment and re-internment has been approved by the commander in chief, Congress or the secretary of national defense.
"My personal view is if they want to, well it's in the regulations, then if we are to be militaristic about it, we follow the regulations," said Gazmin.
Gazmin, however, stressed that the issue or Marcos burial is out of the hands of the Department of National Defense (DND) after President Aquino created a committee, chaired by Vice President Jejomar Binay, to make a study on the calls to bury Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani raised by his son, incumbent Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos.
Binay has recommended that Marcos should be buried in his hometown in Ilocos Norte with full military honors.
"It will depend on how the President will take the recommendation and he will give to us, then we will implement…we will implement what will be ordered of us…as far as our feelings are concerned, our feelings are not asked," said Gazmin.
The defense chief said that he will give his recommendation if asked by the President.
----------------------------------------------------------
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2011 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved
----------------------------------------------------------
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/phnotweet
This is the PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE (PHNO) Mailing List.
To stop receiving our news items, please send a blank e-mail addressed to: phno-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Please visit our homepage at: http://www.newsflash.org/
(c) Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
-------------------------------------------------------------
