Palma echoes CBCP objections to Marcos burial at the Libingan

CEBU Archbishop Jose Palma delivers his homily during the Ordination Mass of the 12 new priests at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral on Tuesday. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

IN solidarity with his fellow bishops, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma echoed the objection of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, through CBCP president Archbishop Socrates Villegas, to the burial of ousted president Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB).

Palma said Villegas was right to be saddened by the ruling of the Supreme Court since the issue does not only involve legal precepts but also has a more profound moral implications since “Marcos is not a hero.”

“In principle, he (Villegas) has a lot of apprehensions (with the) decision (of the) Supreme Court,” he said. “I’m quoting Archbishop Villegas, ang iyang punto, kini dili lamang anggulo nga legal (and his point is that we should not only look at his issue from a legal point of view). There is so much more emotional and historical dimension sa kamatayon ug unta implication sa (in the death of) President Marcos.”

Palma said that while it was true that he was mostly out of the country during the Martial Law regime, including the time when the peaceful People Power Revolution occurred in February 1986, be saw “from a distance” what the Martial Law regime has done to cow the public.

At present, there are conflicting and diverse analysis of the era which is often dubbed as a “dark chapter in Philippine history,” Palma noted.

“I was looking at a distance (right now), you will find conflicting, diverse analysis (about martial law),” he said.

Palma said that while some believed Marcos has done good for the country, it is undeniable that numerous persons who were victims or have family members victimized by the Marcos dictatorship still feel the pain, the sadness and the sorrow of what happened to their families during martial law.

The CBCP, in a statement last week, called the plan to bury Marcos at LNMB as an “insult to the EDSA spirit” and mocked the millions of Filipinos who fought to restore democracy in the country.

“We do not forget!” their statement read. “We are saddened by the decision of the Supreme Court to allow the burial of former President Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani. We see this as another step to build the culture of impunity in the country. Marcos is no hero! He should not be presented as one.”