Cover image via SAYS Philippines
Senator Manny Pacquiao on Monday, August 15, expressed support for the burial of former president Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani despite protests against it said in a report of Rappler
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Pacquiao, a party mate of President Rodrigo Duterte, said it is time for Filipinos to forgive the former president. After all, the senator said it is what the Bible says
For Senator Pacquiao, the country could not move on without forgiveness
"Kung wala tayo pagapatawad sa puso natin, hindi tayo makamove on. Kailangan natin ng forgiveness para tayo may kaligtasan. So okay lang i-forgive natin iyan i-count din natin ang nagawa niya. Ang pinakimportante, he was elected as president," lectures Pacquiao.
(If we don't have forgiveness in our hearts, we cannot move on. We need to have forgiveness so we would be saved. So it's okay to forgive him. We should also count what he did. What's important is he was elected as president.)
Yet, Pacquiao has a different stand on forgiveness in relation to **death penalty**.
He backs the restoration of the measure, saying the Bible allows the death penalty as a **"punishment"** to those who have sinned.
Pacquiao stressed that Marcos should be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani because he was an elected president — one of the criteria set by law
**Pacquiao noted that issues related to Martial Law should also be considered in granting hero's burial to the late president. The senator stressed that Marcos first became president before the declaration.**
"Kinokonsidera naman natin iyon pero saan ang mas nauna, pagka-elect niya as president o martial law? o diba? mas nauna pagka-elect niya as president. Pinili sya ng tao at ang mga nagawa nya during his time, siguro iconsider natin. Wag natin kalimutan," he said.
(We are considering that, but which came first, his election as president or Martial Law? See? He was first elected as president. He was chosen by the people and we should also consider his achievement then. Let us not forget.)
It can be recalled that Martial Law victims cited abuses under his regime as their basis for asking the Supreme Court to stop Marcos' burial at the Libingan
Pacquiao also said Marcos did not appoint himself as president, as the people voted and supported him. "As bayani, hindi natin pag-uusapan yan. But he was a president so elected siya di naman niya nilagay sarili niya para maging presidente siya. Ibinoto sya ng tao so ok na siguro, isa na iyon para magbigay qualification," Pacquiao said.
(As for being a hero, we are not talking about it. But he was a president so he was elected. He did not put himself there that's why he became president. He was elected by the people, so I think that's fine. That's one of the qualifications given.)
**He urged the public not to forget the contributions of the late dictator, who served as president for more than 2 decades – from 1965 to 1986.**
"Kasi in-elect siya ng tao doon pa lang naging presidente siya, so doon pa lang wag natin kalimutan ang nagawa niya sa ating bayan, sa ating bansa. Iyong mga na-accomplish nya during his term so siguro i-consider natin palagi," he said.
