Gamiaw Editorial! : PFM No hero? Wasn’t he?

By Ram Lopez

The news about rallies and undertaking steps of Anti-Marcos activists is making rounds on all media platforms including today's powerful 'social media' channels. They are making  noise  to convince and stop President Rodrigo Duterte in allowing Marcos camp to have the late President and dictator Ferdinand Marcos  Sr. be buried at the Philippine Heroes' Cemetery or Libingan ng mga Bayani.

One of the many protesters who attended Sunday's rally  (yesterday, August 14, 2016) in Luneta park amidst heavy rains are Senators Pia Hontiveros and Leila De Lima. Protesters called on the government to recall its decision allowing the burial of the late President.  Showing placards and huge banners they shouted even supported Vice President Leni Robredo's call that Marcos is No Hero! 

Was Marcos really a No Hero? Well, He may not be a hero to some of us yes, however that perspective will be depending on how we understand the term 'hero', "bayani", in Filipino. Let's check our understanding about the Philippine heroes.

Nowadays, we call our OFW's as the Country's new Living Heroes because with them, the Country's financial aspects are met and over the years we've seen tremendous improvements on the Country's Financial stability, because of the remittances made by our Overseas Workers. Declaring an individual or a group of people a hero is not really an easy task and this 'though we do not have enacted or promulgated law that governs this, does not just involve the decision of just one person, whether or not he is a high profiled one or a highest government official like the President himself. For Republican Countries like the Philippines, laws governing such must be properly reviewed and followed in order to administer and or proclaim one a real hero.

In my research, you might have a second thought if I tell you that the Philippines doesn't really have law, executive order or proclamation that was ever been enacted or issued officially proclaiming any Filipino historical figure as a national hero. However, because of their significant roles in the process of nation building and contributions to history, there were laws enacted and proclamations issued honoring these heroes.

Even Jose Rizal, considered as the greatest among the Filipino heroes, was not explicitly proclaimed as a national hero. The position he now holds in Philippine history is a tribute to the continued veneration or acclamation of the people in recognition of his contribution to the significant social transformations that took place in our country.

Aside from Rizal, the only other hero given an implied recognition as a national hero is Andres Bonifacio whose day of birth on November 30 has been made a national holiday.
Despite the lack of any official declaration explicitly proclaiming them as national heroes, they remain admired and revered for their roles in Philippine history. Heroes, according to historians, should not be legislated. Their appreciation should be better left to academics. Acclamation for heroes, they felt, would be recognition enough.

The point is, we are calling our OFW's our living heroes, to which we strongly agree, however if for instance that an OFW stops working abroad, returned to the Country, he will then be back to being an ordinary citizen. They are not given even a simple acknowledgement paper showing the government's appreciation of their contributions to Nation building. When an OFW returns home, they are left with only the little savings, (if there's any) and their experience from the foreign land. That would also be the same time their heroism stops on the eyes of many and of the government. They wouldn't have any written proof that they can proudly show that they were once one of the Country's heroes and they were once called a living hero. That is because this Republic does not have law promulgating OFW's as one of the country's national heroes. The Living hero is  just a mere calling - an acknowledgement for their great contributions, this does not however entail an Official declaration of them being the Country's Official heroes.  

Now, if its not Official, then why do we call them Our Living Heroes? Although there weren't any Laws, Executive Orders or Promulgations made to support this, the Philippines however has its  National Commission for Culture and the Arts whose tasks specializes in reviewing nominations of and by group of people and individuals vying for the National Hero title. The Commission was created On March 28, 1993 by President Fidel V. Ramos when he  issued Executive Order No.75 entitled “Creating the National Heroes Committee Under the Office of the President”.

The Commission has its Criteria before a person can be declared a hero, and reading through it, I can honestly say that every OFW's who brought honor to the Country and every Officials including the President can be awarded such a prestigious honor, provided that he has contributed to the quality of life and destiny of a nation. Now let me ask you, was the late President Marcos not contributed to the Country's Nation building?

Well, Former Pres. Marcos might not really be like Dr. Jose Rizal who devoted and sacrificed his life disclosing irregularities in the government during the Spanish regime. He may not be like Gt. Andres Bonifacio, Magellan, Lapu-lapu and other Filipino heroes who fought for our independence. But we have to take it to consideration that heroes like Rizal, Bonifacio, Lapu-Lapu lived in different times, completely different from Marcos' time. Let us not limit ourselves to the differences of these heroes. Let us not base our definition to what the previous heroes has contributed 'coz if that would be your basis, no more Filipinos can ever be declared even in the coming years and generations. Another pointer for this is --- the Family of the late President is not asking for him to be counted as one of the Country's National heroes, they are just simply asking to have his remains be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, and I guess that's fair enough compared to what he has done and contributed to the Country's nation building, please let us also not forget that.

You can review the National Commission's guidelines here and tell me if none of it pertains to the greatest contributions of the late President to the Nation building of this country and if he deserves to be treated like what this people are doing. Be reminded that his family is not asking to have him be recognize as National Hero, they are just asking for him to be buried and have eternal peace. Let us understand that and let's try to put ourselves in their shoes so we can better understand how it feels to received the people's response after serving them for many years.

The Philippine political history has been manipulated very well to ruin his and the Marcoses' reputation, the fact is still known to us that he was the number one President who had implemented beneficial projects for us Filipinos.

His projects remain operational such as the LRT systems, the NLEX, Kidney Institute, Heart Center to name a few., and these are enough to call him a hero and deserved to be recognized and granted a hero burial plus he was the Philippine's finest President. Let us not forget that during his time We are the tiger of Asia. Our neighboring countries looked after us, and there was this rumors that they are afraid of us during the Marcos regime. Finest one? Yeah, because our economy is the healthiest one in Asia again during his time. Do you need more? Now it’s time for you to do your own clean research. 󾍇

He may have doctored some government transactions including his military records, but look, cases against the Marcoses have been dismissed for lack of evidence and that cleared Pres. Marcos and his family regarding these allegations.

I have heard several stories regarding extra judicial killings during his time, but they aren't proven correct - right enough to blame the late Marcos of such heinous crimes. Over the years, Filipinos have developed "name-calling" and "name-blaming" attitude, and unfortunately it is always the high ranking officials of the land who always gets the blame for things that are not acceptable and are unsightly for Pinoy's eyes.

Now, if we are to continue with this attitude, I wouldn't wonder if someday you will also blame Pres. Duterte with the death of these over 900 extra judicial killings/victims that happened during his present time. Stop! let the rule of law prevail. Listen, your President is asking for your trust in this matter. Trust in him is inclusive when you decided to vote him during the May 9 polls.

Let Ex. PRESIDENT MARCOS rest in peace. Sins he may have committed in the past have been paid by humiliations and judgmental minds and eyes of the world. If they are not enough, entrust everything to the Lord, He is the only one capable of serving fair judgement and punishment. And they will not be exempted on it should there'd been grave abuse and offenses committed by them.

Again the point is, He has served the many and that's #heroism! Every hero deserved to be recognized and that's why he is being recognized by President Duterte.

To the anti-Marcos camp, I encourage you all to watch the Presidential debates from 1-3 and you'll find out that ever since the first debate commenced, the Filipinos have been educated that he will allow burial of Ex. Pres. Marcos in the "Libingan ng mga Bayani", you could have not voted him in the first place if you were against it. Not voted him? You could have rallied and campaigned against Duterte's candidacy. Not now that the late Marcos is soon to get #eternal peace.