Loyalists ask Noy to reconsider decision on Marcos burial

HONOLULU – Around 100 loyalists held a “peace rally” here yesterday to urge President Aquino – who is attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation – to reconsider his decision against a hero’s burial for the late President Ferdinand Marcos.

Members of the “Marcos for Peace Movement” held their rally at Waipahu Intermediate School, a Filipino-dominated residential area, and clarified they are “not Marcos loyalists” but only wanted reconciliation between the Marcoses and Aquinos.

“We’re here for reconciliation, we’re not (Marcos) loyalists,” group chairman Ric Agnes told reporters.

Agnes admitted having worked during the administration of Marcos and settled here in 1986, or after the late strongman was toppled from power.

In a statement, the group called on Aquino to “rise above partisanship and personal vendetta by allowing the body of the late President Marcos to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani with full military honors.”

“Aquino should heed to the voice of the majority of Filipinos, and lay to rest any personal retribution. Personal rancor and bitterness is divisive and detrimental to the social, educational, business and political life of the Filipinos,” a portion of it read.

“We believe that it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness by doing a course of action to work for the peace negotiating process and hold peace talks for the ultimate reconciliation of the two prominent political figures,” the group said.

A vast majority of Filipinos here came from the Ilocos region, the home province of Marcos.

It was also here in Hawaii that Marcos decided to live in exile after the February 1986 people power revolt, and the same place he died in September 1989.

“We are the concerned Fil-Am with roots and cultural ties from the Philippines. We are voicing our concern through Marcos for Peace Movement, an organization that is created to unify our solidarity for this noble cause,” the group stated. 

“Our mission is to enjoin every peace loving citizen to rally and register their feelings and aspirations and work for the eventual reconciliation of the Marcos and Aquino families,” they added.

However, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda, who has been with the official delegation here, reiterated that the decision has already been made and that it will not likely be changed – meaning there will be no military honors and Libingan burial for Marcos.

“The decision has been made. My feeling is the President will stand by his decision. And there are no compelling reasons to change the decision,” he told reporters in a briefing at the Ala Moana Hotel here, where the Manila-based media are billeted.