Lawyers defend plan to move Marcos remains

Legal representatives of the Philippine government and heirs of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos said today that he deserves to be buried at the National Heroes Cemetery as a former president and war veteran, despite opposition from victims of his regime. Lawyer Jose Calida defended before the Supreme Court the plan of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to transfer Marcos' remains to the military Cemetery of National Heroes, stating that the cemetery "is not the national temple of the gods" and that its name is wrong, because the term "hero" is not precisely defined. He added that Markos "will not become a hero" by being buried in that cemetery. The proceedings before the Supreme Court were initiated by opponents of the initiative, who filed a petition to prevent the transfer of Marcos' remains to the Heroes' Cemetery. Marcos was president of the Philippines from 1965 until his ouster in 1986, and died in exile in Hawaii three years later.