Stones fill up Philippine gravesite to protest planned Marcos burial in cemetery for war heroes

  MANILA – Stones with the names of Martial Law victims in the Philippines have started filling up a gravesite in Libingan ng mga Bayani in a new protest campaign against the proposed burial of dictator Ferdinand Marcos in the Manila cemetery for war heroes. The gravesite that is the target of the “Bawat Bato” initiative is believed to be reserved for Marcos. President-elect Rodrigo Duterte, who takes office on June 30, has said he will allow Marcos’ burial in the heroes’ cemetery, sparking controversy in the country that saw thousands of human rights abuses during Marcos’ regime. More than 100 people have left stones with the names of Martial Law victims written on them to memorialise all those who suffered under the regime of the Marcos dynasty, said award-winning writer Miguel Syjuco, one of the supporters of the campaign that kickstarted on Sunday (June 26) “with no fanfare and media coverage”. The Bawat Bato Facebook page called it a protest “in peaceful defiance, in wordless rebuke”. Stones placed on the gravesite on Sunday were carried by representatives from various organisations such as UP SAMASA Alumni, Martial Law Chronicles Project, Claimants 1081, Nameless Heroes & Martyrs, Akbayan Youth, Akbayan, Filipino Freethinkers, and Dakila. “This afternoon, with no fanfare and media coverage, people gathered at the supposed burial site of former president and dictator Marcos to lay rocks and stones in the open crypt. On each stone laid was written the name of a man/woman/child kidnapped, tortured and murdered during Martial Law. They are the real heroes who deserve to be buried here,” wrote protester Bubut Vasquez on Facebook. The proposed gravesite for Marcos is thought to be the plot just behind the grave of the late former president Carlos P. Garcia. “This is just the start as more stones with more names are laid so that their memories shall not be forgotten. This is a public space and all are welcome to pay their respects and honor the real heroes,” Vasquez said. The campaign’s Facebook page urged supporters to “write a name of one of the Martial Law victims or a personal message… Drop the rock inside the grave site as a sign of your dissent and in memory of all those who suffered and died for our freedom.” As of May 2015, the Human Rights Victims Claims Board recorded a total of 75,730 people who filed claims as human rights violations victims during Marcos’ martial law rule from 1972 to 1986. Marcos was accused of overseeing massive widespread human rights abuses and plundering $10 billion in public funds. He died in 1989, three years after being exiled to Hawaii following the famous “People Power” revolution that saw millions of Filipinos taking to the streets in the world’s first bloodless coup. Marcos’ embalmed body is on display at the family mausoleum in Batac, Ilocos Norte, enclosed in a glass crypt inside an air-conditioned room. ICA/Expat 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