Marcos buried in swift and sudden ceremonies at the heroes cemetery
Former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., who ruled the country for 21 years, was finally buried at noon at the Libingan ng mga Bayani on Friday, 27 years after he died in Hawaii.
Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman said the remains of Marcos was airlifted via a Bell 412 combat utility helicopter of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) from Ilocos Norte to the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City. and was buried at12 noon.
Reporters and television news crews were barred from entering the heroes cemetery. They listened to the 21-gun salute given to Marcos, served in the military during World War II.
Padilla said remains of the late president was airlifted from Ilocos Norte before 9 am. It arrived in Taguig past 11 am in a wooden coffin. Arrival honors were given, he added.
The coffin was put on a caisson and brought to the place where it was to be buried followed by a march of the mourners, added Padilla.
Lt. Gen.Glorioso Miranda, AFP vice chief of staff, saluted as the Philippine flag was draped over Marcos’ coffin before it was lowered. Then the flag was folded and given to former First Lady Imelda Marcos, who was wearing a black Filipiniana dress.
“The flag upon receipt was received by the family and those who paid their last respects did their act of last respect before they closed the tomb, said Padilla who said the ceremony took one hour from the time of arrival.
Padilla said the ceremony was attended by “about a hundred or slightly over a hundred” people including officials of the military and police, led by Philippine National Police Director General Roland Dela Rosa and National Capitol Region Director Oscar Albayalde.
In her statement, Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos expressed their gratitude for their supporters, especially to President Rodrigo Duterte.
“Today the last will of our father, the former President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos to be laid together with his co-soldiers, me and my family are sincerely grateful to all of you who testified on the rights of my father to be laid at Libingan ng mga Bayani.” she said.
“First of all, to President Duterte who suggested it to the Supreme Court to support this decision it to the thousands of people who love and care for our family,” she added.
Imee asked for understanding of people, especially their supporters as they intend to keep the burial rites confidential.
“You were with us in praying for almost three decades to see this day. That is why I am asking for apology and understanding on the decision of our family to make the burial of our father simple, private and solemn so that the feelings of those who were in pain will not be touched,” Imee said.
“Although you were not with us now, we will never forget your care and sacrifice to make this historical event to happen,” she added.
Padilla said aside from standard rites and entombment for a Philippine president the Marcos family just added “little more extras”
“I saw that there is a bowl with a flame. So that was one of the additional that I saw. It’s like a cauldron that has a flame burning inside and it’s a very simple entombment area, with marble finishing with a small wall with one inscription. It was covered by flowers,” Padilla added.
Padilla said using military helicopters is not part of burial benefits the Armed Forces should provide for burial of the late president.
He said other expenses not part of the standard budget for funeral rites, including using helicopters, will be paid by the Marcos family.
“It was requested from the Armed Forces to be brought by a helicopter of the military because I think there was no commercial airlift that could provide it, the expenses will be paid for the Marcoses,” Padilla said.
Padilla could not say what is the usual budget allotted for the burial as well as the extra cost to be paid by the Marcos family.
Just last Tuesday the Philippine Army claimed construction of Marcos’ burial site was 60 percent complete.
Padilla said the instruction for implementing burial rites for Marcos was relayed to them by the Department of National Defense in the afternoon of Thursday.
“We were given very short notice. At exactly 5 o’clock yesterday the first word was… flurry of activity and the activity went on immediately after the initial notice came, this being a very short notice. The preparations previous to this event paid off. As we remember and I recall there was coordination going on between the family of the Marcoses and the Armed Forces prior to the hearing of the case at the Supreme Court,” Padilla said.
“The Armed Forces received instruction on a directive from the Department of National Defense informing us and directing the Armed Forces to provide burial services for the late president, and in compliance to this the order was carried out this morning immediately after we were informed yesterday so the honor that went on this morning included the following,” he added.
“The instruction came through the defense department and it was relayed to the acting chief of staff Lt. Gen. Miranda,” Padilla noted.
Marcos was president from 1965 to 1986. He and his family plus associates left the country following a peaceful coup. He died in Hawaii on September 1989.
His remains were brought to his hometown in Ilocos Norte from Hawaii in 1993. Robina Asido, Emmanuel Tupas/DMS.
