ROLP's offer to provide military honors to Marcos made 2 months ago

MANILA, Philippines - Reserve Brig. Gen. Joseph Sevilla, chairman of the Reserve Officers Legion of the Philippines (ROLP), clarified yesterday that their offer to provide military honors for the burial of the late President Ferdinand Marcos was made two months ago, even before President Aquino rejected state honors for the former head of state.

Sevilla told The STAR that the ROLP resolution was passed last July 13 supporting the recommendation of Vice President Jejomar Binay and the approval by lawmakers of a House resolution seeking a hero’s burial for Marcos at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani in Taguig City.

He claimed that he already informed the commander of the Armed Forces Reserve Command about the earlier stand of their group when the President finally rejected state honors for the former president.

“The resolution was approved without an iota or intention to offend any political beliefs in order to put a closure to the long standing issue that has brought much disunity in the country,” Sevilla said.

Retired Army Col. Octavio Alvarez, ROLP spokesman, told The STAR that the board of directors of their group had approved a resolution offering their military service to the Marcos family.

Alvarez, a former commander of the defunct AFP Metropolitan Command during martial law years, said that they have formally sent a letter to former first lady Imelda Marcos, Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos of their desire to accord the former president appropriate military honors.

In their letter, the group said that “with due courtesy and without an iota of intention to offend any political belief and for the sake of peace, unity and justice, our ROLP, the oldest civic military organization organized in 1938 composed of thousands of reserve officers both active and inactive status of the AFP, is volunteering to bring to his final resting place the late Col. Ferdinand Marcos with full military honors anywhere of choice by the Marcos family.”

Sevilla also disputed the statement of Col. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos, spokesman for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), who doubted the existence of ROLP.

Marcelo said the AFP has not accredited ROLP.

Sevilla claimed that ROLP was founded by the late Gen. Carlos Romulo, Capt. Juan Sioco and former defense secretary Alejo Santos. The group was accredited during the Commonwealth years in accordance with Commonwealth Act 1 that created a Citizens’ Army.

Among prominent leaders of ROLP were Sen. Salipada Pendatun, Col. Jose Razon, Col. Jaime Zobel, Col. Andres Soriano, Ernesto Rufino, several former AFP chiefs, and ex-commanders of the major services.

Sevilla said the ROLP’s madate is provided for in Article VI of the 1987 Constitution, which states that the AFP shall be composed of citizens armed forces that shall undergo training and serve as may be provided by law.

The Charter also provides that the AFP shall keep a regular force necessary for the security of the state.