Rights groups oppose hero’s burial for Juan Ponce Enrile, the ‘Martial Law era architect.’
Several rights groups opposed the burial of former senator and chief presidential legal counsel Juan Ponce Enrile at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
The late chief presidential legal counsel, Juan Ponce Enrile, lived long. Enrile died in his home, and as he wished, he was surrounded by his family when he passed away. He was 101 years old, but according to a retrieved document, he was 103.
He will long be remembered as one of the key architects behind Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s two-decade dictatorship. He served as the late leader’s defense minister and oversaw the implementation of martial law.
On November 22, Saturday, he was laid to rest. A funeral march for the former Defense Minister was administered at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, accompanied by a flower drop from a Philippine Air Force helicopter. Prior to this, a Holy Mass was conducted at the Sanctuario de San Antonio Parish in Makati City, attended by his immediate family, relatives, friends, and supporters.
President Bongbong Marcos, during his eulogy, confirmed that Enrile’s age was 103 instead of 101. This was after his papers that had been lost due to the war were found.
Several rights groups opposed the hero’s burial, calling it “historical whitewashing,” with others saying the Libingan ng mga Bayani “has long been defiled with the burial of Marcos Sr.” in 2016.
Jon Ivan Torreros, vice president for Visayas at the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP), said, “There is blood on his hands. Enrile should not be buried as a hero. A hero doesn’t kill civilians, the nature, and the nation. This is injustice to his victims.”
The 103-hectare Libingan ng mga Bayani was established in 1949, which stands as a poignant tribute to the more than 49,000 Filipino soldiers who perished in World War II, as well as to the patriots, martyrs, presidents, and other influential figures who helped shape the history of the predominantly Catholic nation.
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