bayan

Bayan Muna wants apology from Marcoses

MANILA, Philippines - After President Aquino rejected state honors for the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Bayan Muna party-list now wants the Marcoses to apologize to victims of martial law and indemnify them.

In a statement, Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teddy Casiño said he finds deplorable that "the Marcoses and their loyalists still deny that their dictatorship was responsible for large scale human rights violations and plunder of the national coffers and the nation's resources.
"They have yet to apologize to the nation and indemnify the victims of martial law," he said.
Casiño praised President Aquino for finally clearly stating his stand not to grant state honors for the burial of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

"Mabuti naman at nagsalita na ang Pangulo. It is good that he has finally put his foot down on this issue after taking so long deciding on the matter. It would indeed be a travesty of justice if Marcos is buried with honors while thousands of his victims are still reeling from the damage he wrought on their lives,

 The party-list lawmaker said Sen. Bongbong Marcos is particularly miffed by Aquino's decision because he is aiming for a higher position in 2016 and needs to cleanse his father's legacy of authoritarian rule.

“The Filipino people and the world will always remember him as a tyrant and we must ensure that that will not be changed in order for his mistakes not to be emulated or repeated,” he said.

For his part, House Speaker Sonny Belmonte calls on everyone to respect Aquino’s decision ruling out an hero’s burial for former president Marcos. Belmonte said the President has made up his mind.
On Wednesday, Akbayan party-list also lauded Aquino’s decision.
“There is no honor in perpetuating an abusive regime by silencing political dissent through torture and other human rights abuses. We are glad that the President is one with the Filipino people in recognizing that Marcos, the enemy of Philippine democracy, does not deserve any honor,” Akbayan party-list Rep. Walden Bello said.

Bello said the President’s strong declaration will also propel pending legislation on the compensation of Marcos-era human rights victims to its positive conclusion.

“Matagal nang patay si Marcos, pero hindi pa rin lumilipas ang bangungot ng Batas Militar. Habang komportableng nakaupo sa matataas na posisyon sa pamahalaan ang pamilya ng dating diktador, hanggang ngayon, naghihintay pa rin ng hustisya ang karamihan sa mga biktima ni Marcos at ang kanilang mga pamilya,” Bello added.
“The debate is resolved, Marcos is no hero. It is high time for government to pave the way for justice to be issued.”