SC still divided on FM burial

MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court (SC)remains divided and a close vote is seen next week when it rules on the order of President Duterte to allow the burial of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

An insider bared yesterday that two contrasting main opinions were submitted during the session of justices last Oct. 18.

The source said Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa submitted an opinion granting the seven petitions seeking to prevent the burial of the former president at the Libingan.

Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta, on the other hand, filed another opinion denying the petitions and allowing the burial to proceed, the source bared.

“A close vote may be expected,” the insider revealed.

The high court earlier extended for the second time the status quo ante order it issued last August stopping the Marcos burial.

The halt order, which lapsed last Oct. 18, was extended up to next Tuesday, Nov. 8, when the SC is set to rule on the case.

The justices decided to reset the voting to give them more time to deliberate on the opinions of Caguioa and Peralta.

The high tribunal initially issued the hold order last Aug. 23, effective for 20 days or until Sept. 12.

But at the conclusion of oral arguments last Sept. 7, the SC extended the order directed at Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Armed Forces chief-of-staff Gen. Ricardo Visaya until Oct. 18 to allow the resolution of the case on merits.

The seven petitions were filed by groups of martial law victims led by former Bayan Muna party-list representative Satur Ocampo, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman and former Commission on Human Rights chair Etta Rosales; a group led by former senator Heherson Alvarez; a group of University of the Philippines students; former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao human rights chair Algamar Latiph, and Sen. Leila de Lima.

Marcos’ children – Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos and former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. – have denied the claim of some of the petitioners that the interment of their father at the Libingan is a payment of gratitude for their alleged financial support to the candidacy of President Duterte in the May 2016 polls.

The former senator, who lost in the vice presidential race, claims that the decision of President Duterte to allow his father’s burial at the heroes’ cemetery was not a political favor.