The Department of National Defense is ready to follow the ruling of Supreme Court on Marcos burial.
The Department of National Defense is still waiting for the official communication from the Supreme Court regarding the ruling allowing the burial of the late Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
This was the comment of DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong after the Supreme Court released its decision on Tuesday afternoon.
“We will abide by whatever the decision will be,” Andolong said in a text message.
In a press conference on Tuesday, SC spokesman Theodore Te said that by a vote of 9-5, the 15-man SC dismissed the consolidated petitions seeking to stop the burial backed by no less than President Rodrigo Duterte.
Associate Justices Presbitero Velasco, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Arturo Brion, Mariano del Castillo, Jose Perez, Jose Mendoza, Teresita Leonardo De Castro, and Estela Perlas-Bernabe favored for the burial.
Those who opposed were Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, and Associate Justices Francis Jardeleza, Marvic Leonen and Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa.
On the other hand, Associate Justice Bienvenido Reyes, a fraternity brother of the President at the San Beda College of Law, inhibited from the deliberations due to reported close relations with a party in the case.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana also gave comment. He said it will be up to the Marcos family to decide when they intend to bury the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
“That’s up to Marcos family to decide,” Lorenzana said in a text message.
Meanwhile, Col. Edgard Arevalo, AFP public affairs chief, said they are unaware of the details of the decision of the highest court since they do not have the copy yet.
“That notwithstanding, the AFP respects and will abide by the decision of the Court and will perform what the military will be mandated to do,” Arevalo said.
“We will not hinder the rule of law and its interpretation– the Supreme Court being the court of last resort,” he added.
When Duterte gave go signal to the Marcos family about the burial, Lorenzana immediately issued a memorandum ordering the AFP to undertake the necessary preparations for the interment.
