The Good Family

Finalmente 🦋

When Imee hung up because she still had to make arrangements for tonight's dinner. Yara thought back to her conversation with Imee this morning when she called her, it was short but a heartfelt talk...

~earlier phone call~
Yara: Are you there na, Tita Mommy? Who's with you na or are you going alone?
Imee: "I'm bringing my Dad, He's with me. He's in my arms..."

Yara: *teary eyes* Awww, I love you, Tita Mommy. I am so certain that Lolo Macoy, up there, is happily watching this momentum very much.
~~

As their conversation from earlier lingered in her thoughts, Yara suddenly remembered. Back in 2016, when the decision was made for their family to allow PFEM to be buried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani, it came to a favorable decision, after decades of endless dispute regarding this long-running heated debate.

~back in 2016~

The status quo ante, imposed to block attempts to bury Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani, was finally dismissed by the Supreme Court of the Philippines on November 8 with a majority of 9–5 votes, with one abstention.

Irene received a call from her sister Imee in the quiet hours of the day, joyfully informing her that President Duterte had granted permission for the burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, just hours after the Supreme Court allowed a hero's burial for the former leader of the country. Irene was in shock and started crying as she responded to the phone.

Following the aforementioned approval, PRRD and Bong met that day in Tacloban and spoke about his father's burial in the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Rodrigo: "It's your choice"
Bong: "Can we now proceed?"

Rodrigo: "Oh yes, you can"

"As a lawyer, I stick by what the law says. The law says that soldiers and ex-presidents- nung namatay, or masking hindi siguro ex basta Presidente dun ka ilibing. Now the question about this tussle on the dictatorship of Marcos is something that cannot be determined at this time. It has to have history kasi ho yung nasaktan- and it was a contention, really, of a political fight, initially then turned sour because of the power struggle of the political families ruling this country.  That part of the sins of Marcos has yet to be proven."- PRRD

~~
Following the Supreme Court's ruling, the Marcos family started making arrangements for their father's burial. They decided to keep it as private as possible, to honor PFEM, and to keep things as private and simple as possible, as everyone in the family also wishes.

Imee: Dad's burial will be done with "simple rites like an ordinary soldier", and will not be a state funeral but a "funeral for a soldier" which he wished for.
Mama Meldy: I want you all to be here in Ilocos so that we may go together with your father to his final resting place.

Bong: Ime, let's coordinate with them about airlifting Daddy's remains from Batac to Fort Bonifacio on the day of the burial.
Irene: Greggy and I are much willing to shoulder the burial cost of Daddy.

They are also talking about how to have their father's burial in private and to ensure it is more safeguarded for them as well. They want to increase security and, ideally, prevent media coverage. They don't want any more chaos, just for their late father to be finally laid down to rest without any problems.