This lawmaker is trying to keep everyone happy, but we don’t see anyone smiling.
Kabayan Party List representative Harry Roque has filed a bill proposing to change the name of the Taguig cemetery where the remains of former Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos are set to be transferred on Sep 18.
It’s name, in English, is Heroes’ Cemetery. It’s traditionally been a resting place for the good guys — military personnel, deceased presidents, national heroes and patriots.
But martial law victims and their families say Marcos does not deserve to be buried there because his regime was anything but heroic.
Thousands of Filipinos disappeared or were tortured and killed during his 21-year rule.
To solve this conundrum, Roque suggests changing the name of the cemetery to “Cemetery for Heroes and Former Presidents.”
This way, he said, “we can defer from judging whether a former president was or was not a hero,” he told Philippine Daily Inquirer.
His suggestion did not sit well with social media users.
“Ba’t di nalang ‘Libingan ng mga Bayani atbp.’ (why not make it ‘Cemetery of Heroes, etc.)?” one Twitter user said.
Another suggestion: “Libingan ng mga Bayani and friends.”
You really can’t please everyone, can you?
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