Manny Pacquiao delivers his first privilage speech concerning the reimposition of the death penalty at the Senate floor on Monday, August 8, 2016.聽INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
INVOKING again the name of God, Senator聽 Manny Pacquiao on Monday sought forgiveness of聽the 鈥渟ins鈥� of the late strongman聽 Ferdinand Marcos and聽urged Filipinos to聽allow him聽 to be buried聽 at the聽聽 Libingan ng mga Bayani.
鈥淜ahit gaano kasama ang isang tao, ang pinakaimportante dyan 鈥agkaroon tayo ng forgiveness. Let our good Lord to judge everything siguro,鈥� said Pacquiao who is pushing for the restoration of聽 death聽 penalty聽 on drug cases.
READ: Manny explains death by hanging: 鈥楽isipain lang po yung upuan鈥�
鈥淗uwag tayong magalit kung ano man ang nagawa nya. Kailangan may forgiveness tayo kasi pag wala tayong forgiveness, wala tayong pagpapatawad sa puso natin hindi tayo maka-move on,鈥澛� he added.
Pacquiao said the people聽 should not forget聽 the many good things聽 Marcos聽 had done for the country.
Asked聽 about the聽 alleged human rights聽 violations聽 committed during聽 the Marcos regime,聽 the senator said: 鈥淜ino-consider naman natin yun pero alin ang mas nauna,聽 yung pagka-elect nya as聽 President o yung martial law?鈥�
To once and for all end聽 the issue, Senator Panfilo Lacson聽 said it would be better if Marcos聽 would聽 be buried at the heroes鈥� cemetery and聽 just聽 聽鈥渆xhume鈥澛� his remains聽 if strong opposition pops up later.
鈥淜ung halimbawang malakas ang opposition later on at hindi matahimik, e di exhume,鈥� Lacson said in a separate interview with reporters.
鈥淕anoon kasimple yan. Para matapos din. Ako dahil former president, former soldier, bakit hindi? Entitled naman siya doon,鈥澛� he said.
Lacson reiterated聽 that as long as a person was a former soldier or former聽 head of state,聽 it doesn鈥檛 matter anymore聽 if he was聽 a hero or not.
And to聽 avoid any confusion,聽 the聽 cemetery could also be renamed so it would聽 not be taken literally that聽聽 only heroes聽 could be buried there.
While聽 he agreed that Marcos could be buried at the聽 heroes鈥櫬� cemetery,聽 Senator聽 Antonio聽 Trillanes IV聽 said聽 there were 鈥渓arger聽 political implications鈥� that should be considered.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an issue that we don鈥檛 need right now. In fact, President Duterte doesn鈥檛 need it pero parang聽聽 pinalalabas nya that he can impose his will by virtue聽 of popularity and whimsical minsan. For his own good, kung ako sa kanya, he should step back dahil聽 hindi talaga e,鈥� 聽Trillanes said.
鈥淗e can test kung hanggang saan ito aabot pero sa akin, he doesn鈥檛 need it. He doesn鈥檛聽 need to test聽 and waste political capital at this point , at this early sa kanyang administration. Sya rin ang聽聽聽 mamo-mroblema聽 dito,鈥澛犅� he added./rga
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