PNoy and the Battle of Expectations

In an excellent report befitting a great journalist, Facebook friend Raissa Robles wrote that President Fidel Ramos and Imelda Marcos had a deal regarding the burial of Ferdinand Marcos. The following link:

http://raissarobles.com/2011/06/09/marcoses-broke-promise-to-bury-fms-body-at-once-in-ilocos-fidel-ramos/  shows that Ramos agreed to the return of Marcos’ remains to the Philippines on three pre-conditions:

1.      Marcos will be flown directly to Ilocos for burial there;

2.      Marcos will be buried immediately; and

3.      Marcos will be buried with military honors befitting the claimed Marcos’ rank as a Major.

Ramos claimed that nos. 1 and 3 were fulfilled but no. 2 was not.

This report was sent to me by Raissa as a comment to my note entitled “Letter to President Noynoy Aquino” http://www.facebook.com/notes/benjamin-maynigo/letter-to-president-noynoy-aquino/10150268975819804

In response to her comment I wrote;

“Hi Raissa,

Thanks for the info on President Ramos’ agreement with Imelda which the latter failed to fully fulfill. Ramos is still alive. It would be good to get confirmation from him. If he confirms:

PNoy either agrees with the Ramos deal or not.

If he agrees with it, he can seek specific performance – meaning ask Imelda and her family to bury Marcos as soon as possible in a place of their choice in Ilocos Norte per agreement. Since Ramos claimed that the military had already given him military honors befitting  Marcos’ rank, then there is no need to provide him further military honors.

If PNoy disagrees, he can consider it invalidated by virtue of Imelda violating the terms or just disregard it.

He can also seek to modify the terms. He definitely cannot upgrade the honors to Full Military Honors as Binay is recommending. Ramos correctly interpreted the military rules by saying that Marcos is being given the honors befitting of his “claimed” rank, Major. What he was really saying was that only Commanding Officers of military units (Army Colonel or Navy Captain and above) are entitled to receive Full Military Honors. Since Marcos claimed he was an Army Major (which is still a mystery as to how and when he got promoted from 2nd Lieutenant at the beginning of the war to Major at the end, and who promoted him), then he qualifies only to receive the Standard Military Honors. The exception would have been if he died in combat. Ramos also knew that a 2nd Lieutenant also gets Standard Military Honors which Marcos supposedly got. Befitting indeed!

PNoy can also just say to the Marcos family, please go ahead and bury Marcos the way you want, organize and initiate whatever ceremonies you wish with no State intervention or sanction. He just can not add anything more substantively or ceremonially to what Ramos had already given – no more no less.

He must be warned. Ramos proved that Imelda and her family cannot be trusted. This could be extended to some loyalists like Congressman Escudero who said, “Whatever PNoy decides now, so be it. But it can always be changed in 5 or 10 years.” In short, we see a scenario whereby Marcos’ remains could be transferred from one place to another depending on who is in power. With a family and friends like he has, Marcos will never rest in peace.”

Most recently, as a result of Raissa’s reporting President Ramos phoned her and talked to her for about two hours. She is still awaiting the transcripts of their conversation and will write more details later. However, the initial comment of President Ramos was Raissa’s report was “fairly accurate.” http://raissarobles.com/2011/06/11/fidel-ramos-phoned-me-to-shed-light-on-his-role-in-ferdinand-marcos-non-burial/ . 

I told Raissa that I can’t wait for her next article re details of her conversation with President Ramos.

The terms of this deal which are “fairly accurate” were reached with the following background:

1)                  President Ramos is an Ilocano;

2)                  President Ramos is a relative of Marcos; and

3)                  President Ramos is a soldier who served as AFP Deputy Chief of Staff of Marcos and Chief of the Philippine Constabulary (now Philippine National Police).

It was therefore expected that Ramos was a little more biased in favor of granting Marcos satisfactory if not better benefits. Hence, the agreed terms.

PNoy is now called upon to negotiate or decide a deal with Imelda and her family with the following background:

1)                 PNoy is not an Ilocano

2)                 PNoy is not a relative of Marcos;

3)                 PNoy is not a soldier;

4)                 PNoy’s father, Ninoy Aquino, was illegally detained for several years by Marcos;

5)                 PNoy’s father helped prove that Marcos was no hero and no be-medaled soldier;

6)                 PNoy’s father was murdered under the very noses of Marcos’ military;

7)                 PNoy saw his mother suffer, mourn and shed tears;

8)                 PNoy witnessed Marcos exiling Ninoy and the Aquino family;

9)                 PNoy witnessed Marcos cheating his mother in the Presidential elections;

10)             PNoy witnessed his mother, Ramos, Erap, GMA refusing to bury Marcos at the Libingan Ng Mga Bayani as a hero;

11)             PNoy knows that he got elected as President to uphold  his parents’ ideals; and

12)             PNoy knows that he has been mandated to continue the unfinished People Power Revolution led by his mother.

PNoy is therefore expected to be biased as he has already admitted publicly. It would not be surprising therefore, that he will rule strictly against any more honor or benefits to be bestowed on Marcos.  In fact, he is even expected to reverse, if empowered, and to recover whatever material, financial, and immaterial benefits that accrued to the Marcoses as a result of their corrupt, cruel and brutal dictatorial regime.

Most importantly, PNoy should act as the principled and uncompromising leader his parents inspired him to be, and the majority of the Filipino people expected him to be.