In the wake of snowballing condemnation on the surprise burial of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, Senate president Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III filed a bill seeking a separate cemetery for “Filipinos of historical interest.”
Under Pimentel’s Senate Bill 1246, a new cemetery known as the “Libingan ng mga Makasaysayang Pilipino” will be carved out of parcels of land within the Libingan ng mga Bayani for the remains of Filipino historical figures such as presidents, statesmen, dignitaries, national artists and national scientists, “separate from the remains of those who served in the military.”
“If passed into law, it will preserve the LNMB as a military memorial consistent with the purpose intended for it when it was established in 1947 as the Republic Memorial Cemetery,” Pimentel said.
In 1954, the late President Ramon Magsaysay renamed the Republic Memorial Cemetery as Libingan ng mga Bayani through Proclamation No. 86.
Republic Act 248, enacted in 1948, sought the construction of a National Pantheon dedicated to Philippine presidents, national heroes and patriots.
But Pimentel said, “since no new National Pantheon was constructed pursuant to the said law, LNMB served as the National Pantheon.”
This was made possible, Pimentel explained, under AFP Regulation G 161-375, which included Filipinos of historical interest and others to be interred in the cemetery alongside the remains of those with military service.
Pimentel is the son of former Senate president and Martial Law detainee Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr.
The post Separate Heroes’ Cemetery Proposed appeared first on Manila Bulletin.
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