Is Marcos deserving of a place in Libingan ng mga Bayani?

Libingan ng mga Bayani, a place of serenity where our beloved Sons and daughters of the Motherland rest their tired souls. These souls sacrificed their entire lives for the sake of the Motherland. They were soldiers of the Filipino People. Giving them a parcel of land as their burial place is but a small gesture from an appreciating people.


Ferdinand Marcos was a hero, for all intents and purposes, because he once fought against the foreign invaders during his youth. Marcos was part of the guerillas who, for more than four years, resisted Japanese rule. Never mind if there were doubts as to the authenticity of those medals he earned as a soldier-guerilla. The fact is clear--Marcos did serve the country and for that alone, deserves a parcel of land in the Libingan ng mga Bayani. 


After his years as a soldier, Marcos served the country in various capacities--as Congressman, Senator and President. He authored several laws that benefitted most Filipinos. He served honestly as a Senator, and brought honor to the country with his wit, charisma and nationalism. His desire to improve the lot of the ordinary man catapulted him to the highest post of the land.


Yes, Marcos plunged this country into chaos and darkness during his rule as the country's first dictator in 1972. For twenty years, Marcos ruled this country with an iron fist. He defended its borders from threats coming from insurgents. He ordered the killing of many, the diminution of the powers of the traditional elite families and the destruction of freedom. Civil rights were kept, yet, political rights limited. 


There are contrasting views as to the twenty year rule of Marcos. Many believe it was a period of general stability, where people can go out of their houses without minding their security, and where people enjoy the benefits of those infrastructures built by the regime.


Behind these scenes of general stability hide thousands of cases of brutality, of inhumanity and of violations of basic human rights. For some, these scenes show the true nature of the regime---a dictatorship of the malevolent kind. For those hit by Marcos' policies, those were dark eras. For the many who felt safe during that era, it was so memorable due to the stark contrast of today. 


What really happened was Marcos exhibited the true character of a Machiavelli--he demolished his enemies by destroying the powers of the traditional elites who were enslaving most of the Filipinos with their inhumane rule. From a country ruled by so many pseudo-dictators and petty feudal warlords, Marcos demolished the destructive social structure and replaced it with his own. Marcos created a new set of elites which were not beholden to the traditional ones. 


From a constitutional organisation to a personal army, the military became Marcos' ally in building a "New Philippines". The idea was an excellent one, but Marcos forgot one simple political fact---how to restrain the military and keep it aligned with the civilian powers. The military slowly realised its true powers and it showed when it allowed the rise of a militant group within its establishment. Had the military remained professional, it could have been a totally different fate for Marcos.


It was, however, Marcos who actually created the power that would someday bring his ultimate downfall. 


Okey--so, what's the verdict? 


For me, Marcos deserves to be laid to rest at the Libingan ng mga Bayani for three reasons: first, he was a soldier of the Republic. That alone deserves him a space among our country's heroes. Second, Marcos did something good during his regime---he demolished and limited the powers of the traditional elites. That brought stability to the country. And third, Marcos sacrificed his personal ambitions to build a "New Philippines". He realised that the fragmentation of the social elite structure was hampering growth. When Marcos centralized all power and placed it to the Executive, Marcos actually created a revolution from within. He just failed to realize that the task of nation building is not solitary. Had Marcos created a council of elders and lead it, it could have been a different path altogether. Those who opposed him from the elite groups only wanted to share some power, not to snatch it altogether from him. His mistrust with the elites did him in.