(Eagle News) — Ten days after the Supreme Court’s controversial November 8 ruling, the Marcoses buried the late President Ferdinand Marcos in very private and tightly guarded ceremonies at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, catching the country by surprise, most especially the anti-Marcos activists.
With no prior announcement about the event, the petitioners who had earlier asked the Supreme Court to stop the planned burial of the late President Ferdinand Marcos, are now indignant and announced that they would now ask the high court to impose sanctions against those responsible for Friday noon’s burial.
Atty. Barry Gutierrez, counsel for the petitioners, said that they are filing a motion next week to cite the respondents in contempt.
“Now we are considering filing a motion next week to cite respondents in contempt for proceeding with the burial even if the SC decision is not yet final and executory,” said Gutierrez, counsel for the petitioners led by former Commission on Human Rights chairperson Etta Rosales.
The petitioners claimed that the Supreme Court ruling last November 8 that allowed the burial of the late President Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani was not yet final.
“The Marcos family and the military should be cited in contempt of court and in contempt of the judgment of history,” said the National Union of People’s Lawyers’ secretary general Edre Olalia.
The NUPL and another petitioner Albay Representative Edcel Lagman had earlier asked the high court to stop the burial, that is until the motion for reconsideration they intended to file and the finality of the November 8 decision are resolved.
The NUPL claimed they still have until November 26 to file an appeal.
–VP Robredo expresses outrage-
Meanwhile, Vice-President Leni Robredo also hit the sudden and surprise burial of the late President at the National Heroes’ Cemetery.
“Like a thief in the night, the Marcos family deliberately hid the information of burying former president Marcos today from the Filipino people,” said Vice President Leni Robredo.
“This is nothing new to the Marcoses — they who had hidden wealth, hidden human rights abuses, and now, a hidden burial — with complete disregard for the law,” she added.
In its November 8 ruling, with a vote of 9-5, the high court ruled in favor of the burial saying there was no law that prohibited the burial of a former President at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. It also said that Marcos had not been convicted with finality of any crime involving moral turpitude, and that President Duterte can order the burial at the National Heroes’ Cemetery since this is considered as a public land.
