Duterte on Marcos burial decision: Ilocanos were hurt

LIMA, Peru — President Rodrigo Duterte justified anew his decision to allow the burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, saying he was thinking of the sentiments of Ilocanos who want to see their hometown figure laid to rest there.

Duterte said Ilocanos were dismayed when previous administrations did not bury the former president.

"What was on my mind when I decided is we have divided nation although not that widespread," the president said in a video interview released by Radio TV Malacañang on Friday.

"You can be very sure all the Ilocano-speaking people are hurt. They are dismayed. It's been there floating like a flotsam, we have to decide once and for all," he added.

He also expressed hopes that victims of martial law would find a space for forgiveness.

"Well, it seems to be a very raucous issue for the nation but I would like to pray that everybody would find a space in his heart for forgiveness," Duterte said

"I wish at the day of the burial, they might just want also to stretch more of their understanding of what happened to our country," he added.

With regard to claims that Marcos is not a hero, Duterte said mere allegations were not enough to judge the former president. 

"I was just being legalistic about it. President Marcos was a president for so long and he was a soldier. So that's about it. Whether or not he performed worse or better, there is no study, there is no movie about it. It's just the challenges and allegations of the other side which is not enough," Duterte said.

"And for those who have been somehow hurt or injured... For those detained for so long and suffering you have this option to file a case against the late President Marcos. You know, the sins cannot visit the children and liability is always personal. That's a principle of law that we follow," Duterte added.

Marcos was buried earlier on Friday at the national shrine in a private ceremony, a move that infuriated supporters of the "people power" revolt that ousted Marcos three decades ago.