THE Supreme Court on Tuesday failed to act on the seven petitions seeking to stop the order of President Rodrigo Duterte to allow the burial of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Heroes’ Cemetery.
Instead, the high court decided to extend to Nov. 8 the restraining order it issued in August stopping Marcos’ burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, and to decide on the petitions against the burial on the same date.
The high tribunal initially issued its status quo ante order on the case on Aug. 23, which was effective for 20 days or until Sept. 12.
However, at the conclusion of the oral arguments on the case on Sept.7, the high court extended the order directed at Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Armed Forces chief-of-staff Gen. Ricardo Visaya until Oct. 18 to allow the resolution of the case.
The seven petitions against Marcos’ burial at the Libingan were filed by groups of Martial Law victims led by former Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Satur Ocampo, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman and former Commission on Human Rights chairwoman Etta Rosales; a group led by former senator Heherson Alvarez; a group of University of the Philippines students; former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao human rights chairman Algamar Latiph; and Senator Leila de Lima.
Marcos’ supporters held an overnight vigil outside the Supreme Court compound on Padre Faura in Manila, and were joined by Marcos’ eldest daughter and Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos on Monday.
Marcos’ son, former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., joined their supporters yesterday afternoon and appealed for patience as they waited longer for the high court ruling.
“Somehow, we expected the decision would be released today, but I believe that the longer the time it takes for our justices to study the case, the clearer and the more they will realize the right of my father for burial in the Libingan ng mga Bayani,” he said.
“We were able to wait for 23 years, so I believe a few more days wouldn’t matter that much. So let’s allow our justices to deliberate on this issue carefully, and I am confident that they will allow the burial of my father at the Libingan in the end.”
Like Imee, Marcos Jr. denied the claim of some of the petitioners that the interment of their father at the Libingan was payment for their alleged financial support to the candidacy of President Duterte in the May 2016 elections.
“We did not give out funds to other candidates because I was also a candidate myself. The support we gave to Duterte in the campaign was only in terms of endorsement and political support,” he said.
The former senator, who lost in the vice presidential race, said Duterte’s decision to allow his father’s burial at the Libingan was not a political favor.