Probably because of Araw ng Kagitingan (lit. Day of Valor), a holiday commemorating the fall of Bataan, there’s talk again of whether Marcos is a hero or not and whether he should be buried at the Libingan Ng Mga Bayani (lit. Cemetery of Heroes). It reminds me of the time my grade school teacher talked about Emilio Aguinaldo, a Philippine president who is not buried at the Libingan. My teacher said, he was a president but he was not a hero.
It took me some time to fully comprehend it back then. Aguinaldo may have done good things for the country but these are far outweighed by some ignoble deeds. He is most notorious for treacherously arresting and then executing Andres Bonifacio. Facing defeat by the Spanish, he then sold out to them and went to exile. When the Americans arrived, he promptly went back on his agreement with the Spanish and resumed the rebellion against the Spanish and later against the Americans. Eventually captured by the Americans, he promptly sold out to them.
So by that measure, and if I am to be asked, Marcos is most definitely not a hero. As a soldier, his World War II exploits and medals have been unmasked as a fraud. As a president, he declared martial law on a fabricated coup d’etat. From that time till he was ousted, he and his government imprisoned, tortured, and executed thousands of people. He and his government also stole billions as they buried the country deeper and deeper into debt.
No, he shouldn’t be buried at the Libingan. Unfortunately, within a shamefully short amount of time and a whole bunch of aforementioned stolen money, perceptions are changing or being changed.