The Libingan ng mga Bayani is hallowed
ground, for interred therein are the mortal remains of the Filipino
people’s war heroes and martyrs who fought for our freedom during the
Second World War. Previously named “Republic Memorial Cemetery”, the
late President Ramon Magsaysay, saw it most fitting to rename it
“Libingan ng mga Bayani”, to truly represent “the cause for which our
soldiers have died” (namely the defense of our people’s freedom and
democracy) as well as “express the nation’s esteem and reverence for her
war dead” (Proclamation No. 86, October 27, 1954).
It is hallowed ground for it also keeps the mortal remains of other illustrious men and women of our nation, among them, our National Artists and National Scientists who are themselves our people’s national heroes deserving too of appropriate honors/ceremonies befitting their stature as declared by President Ramos in his Executive Order No. 131, s. 1993.
By reason of the fact of the burial of these national heroes of ours in this hallowed ground and through these Presidential Proclamations, the Libingan ng mga Bayani, for all intents and purposes, has already become our country’s National Pantheon envisioned by Act No. 1856 way back in 1908 and reiterated by Republic Act No. 289 in 1948, which laws clearly granted our people the right to honor only as heroes those deserving their respect and veneration; esteem and reverence and who can serve as inspiration and models for emulation of this generation and of generations still unborn.
It is these hallowed grounds, particularly, the memory of our national heroes which the President most sadly now seeks to desecrate when he recently issued his order allowing the burial at the Libingan of one acknowledged as one of the most corrupt leaders of the world, who has shamelessly plundered the people’s money and violated wholesale their human rights, which consequently will perpetrate the lie that he is a hero, in blatant violation of the right of the Filipino people, including the generations still unborn, to those whom they will honor only as heroes.
The dark years of the Marcos dictatorship which has in fact debased the honor and dignity of the entire Filipino nation and the people’s glorious and heroic struggle which eventually toppled it, is already part of the country’s historical and cultural heritage, which they have the right and duty to preserve in their collective memory, to enable them to pass it to the generations still unborn, lest failure to do so and thus learn from its lessons, may again allow tyranny to rule this sad land of ours.
The said Order of the President, sadly will likewise violate their right to restore their said debased honor and dignity as well as their right to the truth of their said historical heritage, as the burial will most evidently distort history as to who Marcos was to the Filipino people and thus consequently erase or at the very least dim from their collective memory what really happened during the martial law years.
By reason of the foregoing, said Order of the President is not only illegal but unconstitutional but a most great injustice to our people, an affront to their dignity as well as their right to the truth as regards their historical heritage, more particularly of the countless victims of human rights violations during Martial Law, whose “heroism and sacrifices”, have already been recognized by law and whose honor and dignity the State is legally mandated to restore (Republic Act No. 10368).
It is this most underserved illegal as well as unconstitutional burial which the Petitions now pending before the Honorable Supreme Court seek to prevent. Filipinos who may not be actually human rights victims of torture, murder, disappearance and illegal detention have themselves sustained legal injury and may in fact themselves file a Petition before the Honorable Supreme Court not only on behalf of themselves but in representation of the generations still unborn.
As early as 1948, our legislators have already the concept of intergenerational responsibility, the need to preserve and perpetuate the memory of our “national heroes and patriots for the inspiration and emulation of this generation and of generations still unborn”. After all, the patrimony of the nation which our Constitution mandates us to conserve and develop “refers not only to our rich natural resources but also to the cultural heritage of our race” and as Justice Padilla, adds in his Concurring Opinion in Manila Prince Hotel vs. Government Service Insurance System, Et. Al. ( G.R. No. 122156, February 3, 1997), also our historical heritage.
It is more importantly, on behalf of our children, our grandchildren, and the generations still unborn that this generation should oppose this burial, so that it will be forever be preserved in our people’s collective memory what really happened in those dark days of our history (which the burial seeks to erase), that never again should we allow tyranny to descend on this most unfortunate land of ours.
It is hallowed ground for it also keeps the mortal remains of other illustrious men and women of our nation, among them, our National Artists and National Scientists who are themselves our people’s national heroes deserving too of appropriate honors/ceremonies befitting their stature as declared by President Ramos in his Executive Order No. 131, s. 1993.
By reason of the fact of the burial of these national heroes of ours in this hallowed ground and through these Presidential Proclamations, the Libingan ng mga Bayani, for all intents and purposes, has already become our country’s National Pantheon envisioned by Act No. 1856 way back in 1908 and reiterated by Republic Act No. 289 in 1948, which laws clearly granted our people the right to honor only as heroes those deserving their respect and veneration; esteem and reverence and who can serve as inspiration and models for emulation of this generation and of generations still unborn.
It is these hallowed grounds, particularly, the memory of our national heroes which the President most sadly now seeks to desecrate when he recently issued his order allowing the burial at the Libingan of one acknowledged as one of the most corrupt leaders of the world, who has shamelessly plundered the people’s money and violated wholesale their human rights, which consequently will perpetrate the lie that he is a hero, in blatant violation of the right of the Filipino people, including the generations still unborn, to those whom they will honor only as heroes.
The dark years of the Marcos dictatorship which has in fact debased the honor and dignity of the entire Filipino nation and the people’s glorious and heroic struggle which eventually toppled it, is already part of the country’s historical and cultural heritage, which they have the right and duty to preserve in their collective memory, to enable them to pass it to the generations still unborn, lest failure to do so and thus learn from its lessons, may again allow tyranny to rule this sad land of ours.
The said Order of the President, sadly will likewise violate their right to restore their said debased honor and dignity as well as their right to the truth of their said historical heritage, as the burial will most evidently distort history as to who Marcos was to the Filipino people and thus consequently erase or at the very least dim from their collective memory what really happened during the martial law years.
By reason of the foregoing, said Order of the President is not only illegal but unconstitutional but a most great injustice to our people, an affront to their dignity as well as their right to the truth as regards their historical heritage, more particularly of the countless victims of human rights violations during Martial Law, whose “heroism and sacrifices”, have already been recognized by law and whose honor and dignity the State is legally mandated to restore (Republic Act No. 10368).
It is this most underserved illegal as well as unconstitutional burial which the Petitions now pending before the Honorable Supreme Court seek to prevent. Filipinos who may not be actually human rights victims of torture, murder, disappearance and illegal detention have themselves sustained legal injury and may in fact themselves file a Petition before the Honorable Supreme Court not only on behalf of themselves but in representation of the generations still unborn.
As early as 1948, our legislators have already the concept of intergenerational responsibility, the need to preserve and perpetuate the memory of our “national heroes and patriots for the inspiration and emulation of this generation and of generations still unborn”. After all, the patrimony of the nation which our Constitution mandates us to conserve and develop “refers not only to our rich natural resources but also to the cultural heritage of our race” and as Justice Padilla, adds in his Concurring Opinion in Manila Prince Hotel vs. Government Service Insurance System, Et. Al. ( G.R. No. 122156, February 3, 1997), also our historical heritage.
It is more importantly, on behalf of our children, our grandchildren, and the generations still unborn that this generation should oppose this burial, so that it will be forever be preserved in our people’s collective memory what really happened in those dark days of our history (which the burial seeks to erase), that never again should we allow tyranny to descend on this most unfortunate land of ours.
No comments:
Post a Comment