EN BANC

G.R. No. 225973, November 08, 2016

SATURNINO C. OCAMPO, TRINIDAD H. REPUNO, BIENVENIDO LUMBERA, BONIFACIO P.

ILAGAN, NERI JAVIER COLMENARES, MARIA CAROLINA P. ARAULLO, M.D., SAMAHAN NG EX-
DETAINEES LABAN SA DETENSYON AT ARESTO (SELDA), REPRESENTED BY DIONITO
CABILLAS, CARMENCITA M. FLORENTINO, RODOLFO DEL ROSARIO, FELIX C. DALISAY, AND
DANILO M. DELAFUENTE,* Petitioners, v. REAR ADMIRAL ERNESTO C. ENRIQUEZ (IN HIS
CAPACITY AS THE DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF FOR RESERVIST AND RETIREE AFFAIRS, ARMED
FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES), THE GRAVE SERVICES UNIT (PHILIPPINE ARMY), AND
GENERAL RICARDO R. VISAYA (IN HIS CAPACITY AS THE CHIEF OF STAFF, ARMED FORCES
OF THE PHILIPPINES), DEFENSE SECRETARY DELFIN LORENZANA, AND HEIRS OF
FERDINAND E. MARCOS, REPRESENTED BY HIS SURVIVING SPOUSE IMELDA ROMUALDEZ
MARCOS, Respondents.

RENE A.V. SAGUISAG, SR., RENE A.Q. SAGUISAG, JR., RENE A.C. SAGUISAG III, Intervenors.

G.R. No. 225984

REP. EDCEL C. LAGMAN, IN HIS PERSONAL AND OFFICIAL CAPACITIES AND AS A MEMBER
OF CONGRESS AND AS THE HONORARY CHAIRPERSON OF THE FAMILIES OF VICTIMS OF
INVOLUNTARY DISAPPEARANCE (FIND); FAMILIES OF VICTIMS OF INVOLUNTARY
DISAPPEARANCE (FIND), REPRESENTED BY ITS COCHAIRPERSON, NILDA L. SEVILLA; REP.
TEDDY BRAWNER BAGUILAT, JR.; REP. TOMASITO S. VILLARIN; REP. EDGAR R. ERICE; AND
REP. EMMANUEL A. BILLONES, Petitioners, v. EXECUTIVE SECRETARY SALVADOR C.
MEDIALDEA; DEFENSE SECRETARY DELFIN N. LORENZANA; AFP CHIEF OF STAFF LT. GEN.
RICARDO R. VISAYA; AFP DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF REAR ADMIRAL ERNESTO C. ENRIQUEZ;
AND HEIRS OF FERDINAND E. MARCOS, REPRESENTED BY HIS SURVIVING SPOUSE IMELDA
ROMUALDEZ MARCOS, Respondents.

G.R. No. 226097

LORETTA ANN PARGAS-ROSALES, HILDA B. NARCISO, AIDA F. SANTOSMARANAN, JO-ANN Q.

MAGLIPON, ZENAIDA S. MIQUE, FE B. MANGAHAS, MA. CRISTINA P. BAWAGAN, MILA D.
AGUILAR, MINERVA G. GONZALES, MA. CRISTINA V. RODRIGUEZ, LOUIE G. CRISMO,
FRANCISCO E. RODRIGO, JR., LIWAYWAY D. ARCE, AND ABDULMARI DE LEON IMAO,
JR., Petitioners, v. EXECUTIVE SECRETARY SALVADOR C. MEDIALDEA, DEFENSE SECRETARY
DELFIN LORENZANA, AFP DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF REAR ADMIRAL ERNESTO C. ENRIQUEZ,
AFP CHIEF OF STAFF LT. GEN. RICARDO R. VISAYA, AND PHILIPPINE VETERANS AFFAIRS
OFFICE (PVAO) ADMINISTRATOR LT. GEN. ERNESTO G. CAROLINA (RET.), Respondents.

G.R. No. 226116

HEHERSON T. ALVAREZ, JOEL C. LAMANGAN, FRANCIS X. MANGLAPUS, EDILBERTO C. DE

JESUS, BELINDA O. CUNANAN, CECILIA GUIDOTE ALVAREZ, REX DEGRACIA LORES, SR.,
ARNOLD MARIE NOEL, CARLOS MANUEL, EDMUND S. TAYAO, DANILO P. OLIVARES, NOEL F.
TRINIDAD, JESUS DELA FUENTE, REBECCA M. QUIJANO, FR. BENIGNO BELTRAN, SVD,
ROBERTO S. VERZOLA, AUGUSTO A. LEGASTO, JR., AND JULIA KRISTINA P.
LEGASTO, Petitioners, v. EXECUTIVE SECRETARY SALVADOR C. MEDIALDEA, DEFENSE
SECRETARY DELFIN LORENZANA, AFP CHIEF OF STAFF LT. GEN. RICARDO R. VISAYA, AFP
DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF REAR ADMIRAL ERNESTO C. ENRIQUEZ, AND PHILIPPINE
VETERANS AFFAIRS OFFICE (PVAO) OF THE DND, Respondents.
 G.R. No. 226117

ZAIRA PATRICIA B. BANIAGA, JOHN ARVIN BUENAAGUA, JOANNE ROSE SACE LIM, JUAN
ANTONIO RAROGAL MAGALANG, Petitioners, v. SECRETARY OF NATIONAL DEFENSE DELFIN
N. LORENZANA, AFP CHIEF OF STAFF RICARDO R. VISAYA, ADMINISTRATOR OF THE
PHILIPPINE VETERANS AFFAIRS OFFICE ERNESTO G. CAROLINA, Respondents.

G.R. No. 226120

ALGAMAR A. LATIPH, Petitioner, v. SECRETARY DELFIN N. LORENZANA, SUED IN HIS

CAPACITY AS SECRETARY OF NATIONAL DEFENSE, LT. GEN. RICARDO R. VISAYA, IN HIS
CAPACITY AS CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES AND LT. GEN.
ERNESTO G. CAROLINA (RET.), IN HIS CAPACITY AS ADMINISTRATOR, PHILIPPINE VETERANS
AFFAIRS OFFICE (PVAO), Respondents.

G.R. No. 226294

LEILA M. DE LIMA, IN HER CAPACITY AS SENATOR OF THE REPUBLIC AND AS

TAXPAYER, Petitioner, v. HON. SALVADOR C. MEDIALDEA, DEFENSE SECRETARY DELFIN
LORENZANA, AFP CHIEF OF STAFF LT. GEN. RICARDO R. VISAYA, UNDERSECRETARY
ERNESTO G. CAROLINA, IN HIS CAPACITY AS PHILIPPINE VETERANS AFFAIRS OFFICE (PVAO)
ADMINISTRATOR AND B/GEN. RESTITUTO L. AGUILAR, IN HIS CAPACITY AS SHRINE
CURATOR AND CHIEF VETERANS MEMORIAL AND HISTORICAL DIVISION AND HEIRS OF
FERDINAND EDRALIN MARCOS, Respondent.

DECISION

PERALTA, J.:

In law, as much as in life, there is need to find closure. Issues that have lingered and festered for
so long and which unnecessarily divide the people and slow the path to the future have to be
interred. To move on is not to forget the past. It is to focus on the present and the future, leaving
behind what is better left for history to ultimately decide. The Court finds guidance from the
Constitution and the applicable laws, and in the absence of clear prohibition against the exercise
of discretion entrusted to the political branches of the Government, the Court must not
overextend its readings of what may only be seen as providing tenuous connection to the issue
before it.

Facts

During the campaign period for the 2016 Presidential Election, then candidate Rodrigo R. Duterte
(Duterte) publicly announced that he would allow the burial of former President Ferdinand E. Marcos
(Marcos) at the Libingan Ng Mga Bayani (LNMB). He won the May 9, 2016 election, garnering
16,601,997 votes. At noon of June 30, 2016, he formally assumed his office at the Rizal Hall in the
Malacañan Palace.

On August 7, 2016, public respondent Secretary of National Defense Delfin N. Lorenzana issued a
Memorandum to the public respondent Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP),
General Ricardo R. Visaya, regarding the interment of Marcos at the LNMB, to
wit:ChanRoblesVirtualawlibrary
Subject: Interment of the late Former President Ferdinand Marcos at LNMB
Reference: Verbal Order of President Rodrigo Duterte on July 11, 2016.

In compliance to (sic) the verbal order of the President to implement his election campaign promise to
have the remains of the late former President Ferdinand E. Marcos be interred at the Libingan ng mga
Bayani, kindly undertake all the necessary planning and preparations to facilitate the coordination of all
agencies concerned specially the provisions for ceremonial and security requirements. Coordinate
closely with the Marcos family regarding the date of interment and the transport of the late former
President's remains from Ilocos Norte to the LNMB.

The overall OPR for this activity will [be] the PVAO since the LNMB is under its supervision and
administration. PVAO shall designate the focal person for this activity who shall be the overall overseer
of the event.

Submit your Implementing Plan to my office as soon as possible.1chanroblesvirtuallawlibrary

On August 9, 2016, respondent AFP Rear Admiral Ernesto C. Enriquez issued the following directives to
the Philippine Army (PA) Commanding General:ChanRoblesVirtualawlibrary
SUBJECT:     Funeral Honors and Service

TO:              Commanding General, Philippine Army 

                   Headquarters, Philippine Army 
                   Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City 
                   Attn: Assistant Chief of Staff for RRA, G9

1. Pursuant to paragraph 2b, SOP Number 8, GHQ, AFP dated 14 July 1992, provide services,
honors and other courtesies for the late Former President Ferdinand E. Marcos as indicated:

chanRoblesvirtualLawlibrary    [x] Vigil - Provide vigil 

    [x] Bugler/Drummer 
    [x] Firing Party 
    [x] Military Host/Pallbearers 
    [x] Escort and Transportation 
    [x] Arrival/Departure Honors

2. His remains lie in state at Ilocos Norte 

3. Interment will take place at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, Ft. Bonifacio, Taguig City. Date:
TBAL. 

4. Provide all necessary military honors accorded for a President 

5. POC: Administrator, PVAO BY COMMAND OF GENERAL VISAYA2

Dissatisfied with the foregoing issuance, the following were filed by petitioners:

chanRoblesvirtualLawlibrary1. Petition for Certiorari and Prohibition3 filed by Saturnino Ocampo and

several others,4 in their capacities as human rights advocates or human rights violations victims as
defined under Section 3 (c) of Republic Act (R.A.) No. 10368 (Human Rights Victims Reparation and
Recognition Act of 2013).

2. Petition for Certiorari-in-Intervention5 filed by Rene A.V. Saguisag, Sr. and his son,6 as members of
the Bar and human rights lawyers, and his grandchild.7chanrobleslaw

3. Petition for Prohibition8 filed by Representative Edcel C. Lagman, in his personal capacity, as member
of the House of Representatives and as Honorary Chairperson of Families of Victims of Involuntary
Disappearance (FIND), a duly-registered corporation and organization of victims and families of
enforced disappearance, mostly during the martial law regime of the former President Marcos, and
several others,9 in their official capacities as duly-elected Congressmen of the House of Representatives
of the Philippines.

4. Petition for Prohibition10 filed by Loretta Ann Pargas-Rosales, former Chairperson of the Commission
on Human Rights, and several others,11 suing as victims of State-sanctioned human rights violations
during the martial law regime of Marcos.

5. Petition for Mandamus and Prohibition12 filed by Heherson T. Alvarez, former Senator of the Republic
of the Philippines, who fought to oust the dictatorship of Marcos, and several others,13as concerned
Filipino citizens and taxpayers.

6. Petition for Certiorari and Prohibition14 filed by Zaira Patricia B. Baniaga and several others,15 as

concerned Filipino citizens and taxpayers. 

7. Petition for Certiorari and Prohibition16 filed by Algamar A. Latiph, former Chairperson of the Regional

Human Rights Commission, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, by himself and on behalf of
the Moro17 who are victims of human rights during the martial law regime of Marcos.

8. Petition for Certiorari and Prohibition18 filed by Leila M. De Lima as member of the Senate of the

Republic of the Philippines, public official and concerned citizen.

Issues

Procedural

1. Whether President Duterte's determination to have the remains of Marcos interred at the LNMB poses
a justiciable controversy.

2. Whether petitioners have locus standi to file the instant petitions.

3. Whether petitioners violated the doctrines of exhaustion of administrative remedies and hierarchy of
courts.

Substantive

1. Whether the respondents Secretary of National Defense and AFP Rear Admiral committed grave
abuse of discretion, amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction, when they issued the assailed
memorandum and directive in compliance with the verbal order of President Duterte to implement his
election campaign promise to have the remains of Marcos interred at the LNMB.

(b) R.A. No. 289;

(c) R.A. No. 10368;

(d) AFP Regulation G 161-375 dated September 11, 2000;

(e) The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

(f) The "Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation for Victims of Gross
Violations of International Human Rights Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law"
of the United Nations (U.N.) General Assembly; and cralawlawlibrary

(g) The "Updated Set of Principles for Protection and Promotion of Human Rights through Action to
Combat Impunity" of the U.N. Economic and Social Council;

3. Whether historical facts, laws enacted to recover ill-gotten wealth from the Marcoses and their
cronies, and the pronouncements of the Court on the Marcos regime have nullified his entitlement as a
soldier and former President to interment at the LNMB.

4. Whether the Marcos family is deemed to have waived the burial of the remains of former President
Marcos at the LNMB after they entered into an agreement with the Government of the Republic of the
Philippines as to the conditions and procedures by which his remains shall be brought back to and
interred in the Philippines.

Opinion

The petitions must be dismissed.

Procedural Grounds

Justiciable controversy

It is well settled that no question involving the constitutionality or validity of a law or governmental act
may be heard and decided by the Court unless the following requisites for judicial inquiry are present: (a)
there must be an actual case or controversy calling for the exercise of judicial power; (b) the person
challenging the act must have the standing to question the validity of the subject act or issuance; (c) the
question of constitutionality must be raised at the earliest opportunity; and (d) the issue of
constitutionality must be the very lis mota of the case.19 In this case, the absence of the first two
requisites, which are the most essential, renders the discussion of the last two
superfluous.20chanrobleslaw

An "actual case or controversy" is one which involves a conflict of legal rights, an assertion of opposite
legal claims, susceptible of judicial resolution as distinguished from a hypothetical or abstract difference
or dispute.21 There must be a contrariety of legal rights that can be interpreted and enforced on the basis
of existing law and jurisprudence.22 Related to the requisite of an actual case or controversy is the
requisite of "ripeness," which means that something had then been accomplished or performed by either
branch before a court may come into the picture, and the petitioner must allege the existence of an
immediate or threatened injury to itself as a result of the challenged action.23 Moreover, the limitation on
the power of judicial review to actual cases and controversies carries the assurance that the courts will
not intrude into areas committed to the other branches of government.24 Those areas pertain to
questions which, under the Constitution, are to be decided by the people in their sovereign capacity, or
in regard to which full discretionary authority has been delegated to the legislative or executive branch of
the government.25cralawred As they are concerned with questions of policy and issues dependent upon
the wisdom, not legality of a particular measure,26 political questions used to be beyond the ambit of
judicial review. However, the scope of the political question doctrine has been limited by Section 1 of
Article VIII of the 1987 Constitution when it vested in the judiciary the power to determine whether or not
there has been grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction on the part of any
branch or instrumentality of the Government.

The Court agrees with the OSG that President Duterte's decision to have the remains of Marcos interred
at the LNMB involves a political question that is not a justiciable controversy. In the exercise of his
powers under the Constitution and the Executive Order (E.O.) No. 292 (otherwise known as the
Administrative Code of 1987) to allow the interment of Marcos at the LNMB, which is a land of the public
domain devoted for national military cemetery and military shrine purposes, President Duterte decided a
question of policy based on his wisdom that it shall promote national healing and forgiveness. There
being no taint of grave abuse in the exercise of such discretion, as discussed below, President Duterte's
decision on that political question is outside the ambit of judicial review.

Locus standi

Defined as a right of appearance in a court of justice on a given question,27locus standi requires that a

party alleges such personal stake in the outcome of the controversy as to assure that concrete
adverseness which sharpens the presentation of issues upon which the court depends for illumination of
difficult constitutional questions.28 Unless a person has sustained or is in imminent danger of sustaining
an injury as a result of an act complained of, such proper party has no standing.29 Petitioners, who filed
their respective petitions for certiorari, prohibition and mandamus, in their capacities as citizens, human
rights violations victims, legislators, members of the Bar and taxpayers, have no legal standing to file
such petitions because they failed to show that they have suffered or will suffer direct and personal injury
as a result of the interment of Marcos at the LNMB.

Taxpayers have been allowed to sue where there is a claim that public funds are illegally disbursed or
that public money is being deflected to any improper purpose, or that public funds are wasted through
the enforcement of an invalid or unconstitutional law.30 In this case, what is essentially being assailed is
the wisdom behind the decision of the President to proceed with the interment of Marcos at the LNMB.
As taxpayers, petitioners merely claim illegal disbursement of public funds, without showing that Marcos
is disqualified to be interred at the LNMB by either express or implied provision of the Constitution, the
laws or jurisprudence.

Petitioners Saguisag, et al.,31 as members of the Bar, are required to allege any direct or potential injury
which the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, as an institution, or its members may suffer as a
consequence of the act complained of.32 Suffice it to state that the averments in their petition-in-
intervention failed to disclose such injury, and that their interest in this case is too general and shared by
other groups, such that their duty to uphold the rule of law, without more, is inadequate to clothe them
with requisite legal standing.33chanrobleslaw

As concerned citizens, petitioners are also required to substantiate that the issues raised are of
transcendental importance, of overreaching significance to society, or of paramount public interest.34 In
cases involving such issues, the imminence and clarity of the threat to fundamental constitutional rights
outweigh the necessity for prudence.35 In Marcos v. Manglapus,36 the majority opinion observed that the
subject controversy was of grave national importance, and that the Court's decision would have a
profound effect on the political, economic, and other aspects of national life. The ponencia explained that
the case was in a class by itself, unique and could not create precedent because it involved a dictator
forced out of office and into exile after causing twenty years of political, economic and social havoc in
the country and who, within the short space of three years (from 1986), sought to return to the
Philippines to die.

At this point in time, the interment of Marcos at a cemetery originally established as a national military
cemetery and declared a national shrine would have no profound effect on the political, economic, and
other aspects of our national life considering that more than twenty-seven (27) years since his death and
thirty (30) years after his ouster have already passed. Significantly, petitioners failed to demonstrate a
clear and imminent threat to their fundamental constitutional rights.

As human rights violations victims during the Martial Law regime, some of petitioners decry re-
traumatization, historical revisionism, and disregard of their state recognition as heroes. Petitioners'
argument is founded on the wrong premise that the LNMB is the National Pantheon intended by law to
perpetuate the memory of all Presidents, national heroes and patriots. The history of the LNMB, as will
be discussed further, reveals its nature and purpose as a national military cemetery and national shrine,
under the administration of the AFP.

Apart from being concerned citizens and taxpayers, petitioners Senator De Lima, and Congressman
Lagman, et al.37 come before the Court as legislators suing to defend the Constitution and to protect
appropriated public funds from being used unlawfully. In the absence of a clear showing of any direct
injury to their person or the institution to which they belong, their standing as members of the Congress
cannot be upheld.38 They do not specifically claim that the official actions complained of, i.e., the
memorandum of the Secretary of National Defense and the directive of the AFP Chief of Staff regarding
the interment of Marcos at the LNMB, encroach on their prerogatives as legislators.39chanrobleslaw

Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies

Petitioners violated the doctrines of exhaustion of administrative remedies and hierarchy of courts.
Under the doctrine of exhaustion of administrative remedies, before a party is allowed to seek the
intervention of the court, one should have availed first of all the means of administrative processes
available.40 If resort to a remedy within the administrative machinery can still be made by giving the
administrative officer concerned every opportunity to decide on a matter that comes within his
jurisdiction, then such remedy should be exhausted first before the court's judicial power can be
sought.41 For reasons of comity and convenience, courts of justice shy away from a dispute until the
system of administrative redress has been completed and complied with, so as to give the administrative
agency concerned every opportunity to correct its error and dispose of the case.42 While there are
exceptions43 to the doctrine of exhaustion of administrative remedies, petitioners failed to prove the
presence of any of those exceptions.

Contrary to their claim of lack of plain, speedy, adequate remedy in the ordinary course of law,
petitioners should be faulted for failing to seek reconsideration of the assailed memorandum and
directive before the Secretary of National Defense. The Secretary of National Defense should be given
opportunity to correct himself, if warranted, considering that AFP Regulations G 161-375 was issued
upon his order. Questions on the implementation and interpretation thereof demand the exercise of
sound administrative discretion, requiring the special knowledge, experience and services of his office to
determine technical and intricate matters of fact. If petitioners would still be dissatisfied with the decision
of the Secretary, they could elevate the matter before the Office of the President which has control and
supervision over the Department of National Defense (DND).44chanrobleslaw

Hierarchy of Courts

In the same vein, while direct resort to the Court through petitions for the extraordinary writs of certiorari,
prohibition and mandamus are allowed under exceptional cases,45 which are lacking in this case,
petitioners cannot simply brush aside the doctrine of hierarchy of courts that requires such petitions to
be filed first with the proper Regional Trial Court (RTC). The RTC is not just a trier of facts, but can also
resolve questions of law in the exercise of its original and concurrent jurisdiction over petitions
for certiorari, prohibition and mandamus, and has the power to issue restraining order and injunction
when proven necessary.

In fine, the petitions at bar should be dismissed on procedural grounds alone. Even if We decide the
case based on the merits, the petitions should still be denied.

Substantive Grounds

There is grave abuse of discretion when an act is (1) done contrary to the Constitution, the law or
jurisprudence or (2) executed whimsically, capriciously or arbitrarily, out of malice, ill will or personal
bias.46 None is present in this case.

I 
The President's decision to bury Marcos at the LNMB is in accordance with the Constitution, the
law or jurisprudence

Petitioners argue that the burial of Marcos at the LNMB should not be allowed because it has the effect
of not just rewriting history as to the Filipino people's act of revolting against an authoritarian ruler but
also condoning the abuses committed during the Martial Law, thereby violating the letter and spirit of the
1987 Constitution, which is a "post-dictatorship charter" and a "human rights constitution." For them, the
ratification of the Constitution serves as a clear condemnation of Marcos' alleged "heroism." To support
their case, petitioners invoke Sections 2,4711,48 13,49 23,50 26,51 2752 and 2853 of Article II, Sec. 17 of Art.
VII,54 Sec. 3(2) of Art. XIV,55 Sec. 1 of Art. XI,56 and Sec. 26 of Art. XVIII57 of the Constitution.

There is no merit to the contention.

As the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) logically reasoned out, while the Constitution is a product of
our collective history as a people, its entirety should not be interpreted as providing guiding principles to
just about anything remotely related to the Martial Law period such as the proposed Marcos burial at the
LNMB.

Tañada v. Angara58 already ruled that the provisions in Article II of the Constitution are not self-
executing. Thus:ChanRoblesVirtualawlibrary
By its very title, Article II of the Constitution is a "declaration of principles and state policies." The
counterpart of this article in the 1935 Constitution is called the "basic political creed of the nation" by
Dean Vicente Sinco. These principles in Article II are not intended to be self executing principles ready
for enforcement through the courts. They are used by the judiciary as aids or as guides in the exercise of
its power of judicial review, and by the legislature in its enactment of laws. As held in the leading case
of Kilosbayan, Incorporated vs. Morato, the principles and state policies enumerated in Article II x x x are
not "self-executing provisions, the disregard of which can give rise to a cause of action in the courts.
They do not embody judicially enforceable constitutional rights but guidelines for legislation."

In the same light, we held in Basco vs. Pagcor that broad constitutional principles need legislative
enactments to implement them x x x.

xxx

The reasons for denying a cause of action to an alleged infringement of broad constitutional principles
are sourced from basic considerations of due process and the lack of judicial authority to wade "into the
uncharted ocean of social and economic policy making."59chanroblesvirtuallawlibrary
In the same vein, Sec. 1 of Art. XI of the Constitution is not a self-executing provision considering that a
law should be passed by the Congress to clearly define and effectuate the principle embodied therein.
As a matter of fact, pursuant thereto, Congress enacted R.A. No. 6713 ("Code of Conduct and Ethical
Standards for Public Officials and Employees"), R.A. No. 6770 ("The Ombudsman Act of 1989"), R.A.
No. 7080 (An Act Defining and Penalizing the Crime of Plunder), and Republic Act No. 9485 ("Anti-Red
Tape Act of 2007"). To complement these statutes, the Executive Branch has issued various orders,
memoranda, and instructions relative to the norms of behavior/code of conduct/ethical standards of
officials and employees; workflow charts/public transactions; rules and policies on gifts and benefits;
whistle blowing and reporting; and client feedback program.

Petitioners' reliance on Sec. 3(2) of Art. XIV and Sec. 26 of Art. XVIII of the Constitution is also
misplaced. Sec. 3(2) of Art. XIV refers to the constitutional duty of educational institutions in teaching the
values of patriotism and nationalism and respect for human rights, while Sec. 26 of Art. XVIII is a
transitory provision on sequestration or freeze orders in relation to the recovery of Marcos' ill-gotten
wealth. Clearly, with respect to these provisions, there is no direct or indirect prohibition to Marcos'
interment at the LNMB.

The second sentence of Sec. 17 of Art. VII pertaining to the duty of the President to "ensure that the
laws be faithfully executed," which is identical to Sec. 1, Title I, Book III of the Administrative Code of
1987,60 is likewise not violated by public respondents. Being the Chief Executive, the President
represents the government as a whole and sees to it that all laws are enforced by the officials and
employees of his or her department.61 Under the Faithful Execution Clause, the President has the power
to take "necessary and proper steps" to carry into execution the law.62 The mandate is self-executory by
virtue of its being inherently executive in nature and is intimately related to the other executive
functions.63 It is best construed as an imposed obligation, not a separate grant of power.64 The provision
simply underscores the rule of law and, corollarily, the cardinal principle that the President is not above
the laws but is obliged to obey and execute them.65chanrobleslaw

Consistent with President Duterte's mandate under Sec. 17, Art. VII of the Constitution, the burial of
Marcos at the LNMB does not contravene R.A. No. 289, R.A. No. 10368, and the international human
rights laws cited by petitioners.

A. On R.A. No. 28966chanrobleslaw

For the perpetuation of their memory and for the inspiration and emulation of this generation and of
generations still unborn, R.A. No. 289 authorized the construction of a National Pantheon as the burial
place of the mortal remains of all the Presidents of the Philippines, national heroes and patriots.67 It also
provided for the creation of a Board on National Pantheon to implement the law.68chanrobleslaw

On May 12, 1953, President Elpidio R. Quirino approved the site of the National Pantheon at East
Avenue, Quezon City.69 On December 23, 1953, he issued Proclamation No. 431 to formally "withdraw
from sale or settlement and reserve as a site for the construction of the National Pantheon a certain
parcel of land located in Quezon City." However, on July 5, 1954, President Magsaysay issued
Proclamation No. 42 revoking Proclamation Nos. 422 and 431, both series of 1953, and reserving the
parcels of land embraced therein for national park purposes to be known as Quezon Memorial Park.

It is asserted that Sec. 1 of R.A. No 289 provides for the legal standard by which a person's mortal
remains may be interred at the LNMB, and that AFP Regulations G 161-375 merely implements the law
and should not violate its spirit and intent. Petitioners claim that it is known, both here and abroad, that
Marcos' acts and deed - the gross human rights violations, the massive corruption and plunder of
government coffers, and his military record that is fraught with myths, factual inconsistencies, and lies -
are neither worthy of perpetuation in our memory nor serve as a source of inspiration and emulation of
the present and future generations. They maintain that public respondents are not members of the
Board on National Pantheon, which is authorized by the law to cause the burial at the LNMB of the
deceased Presidents of the Philippines, national heroes, and patriots.

Petitioners are mistaken. Both in their pleadings and during the oral arguments, they miserably failed to
provide legal and historical bases as to their supposition that the LNMB and the National Pantheon are
one and the same. This is not at all unexpected because the LNMB is distinct and separate from the
burial place envisioned in R.A. No 289. The parcel of land subject matter of President Quirino's
Proclamation No. 431, which was later on revoked by President Magsaysay's Proclamation No. 42, is
different from that covered by Marcos' Proclamation No. 208. The National Pantheon does not exist at
present. To date, the Congress has deemed it wise not to appropriate any funds for its construction or
the creation of the Board on National Pantheon. This is indicative of the legislative will not to pursue, at
the moment, the establishment of a singular interment place for the mortal remains of all Presidents of
the Philippines, national heroes, and patriots. Perhaps, the Manila North Cemetery, the Manila South
Cemetery, and other equally distinguished private cemeteries already serve the noble purpose but
without cost to the limited funds of the government.

Even if the Court treats R.A. No. 289 as relevant to the issue, still, petitioners' allegations must fail. To
apply the standard that the LNMB is reserved only for the "decent and the brave" or "hero" would be
violative of public policy as it will put into question the validity of the burial of each and every mortal
remains resting therein, and infringe upon the principle of separation of powers since the allocation of
plots at the LNMB is based on the grant of authority to the President under existing laws and regulations.
Also, the Court shares the view of the OSG that the proposed interment is not equivalent to the
consecration of Marcos' mortal remains. The act in itself does not confer upon him the status of a "hero."
Despite its name, which is actually a misnomer, the purpose of the LNMB, both from legal and historical
perspectives, has neither been to confer to the people buried there the title of "hero" nor to require that
only those interred therein should be treated as a "hero." Lastly, petitioners' repeated reference to a
"hero's burial" rand "state honors," without showing proof as to what kind of burial or honors that will be
accorded to the remains of Marcos, is speculative until the specifics of the interment have been finalized
by public respondents.

B. On R.A. No. 1036870chanrobleslaw

For petitioners, R.A. No. 10368 modified AFP Regulations G 161-375 by implicitly disqualifying Marcos'
burial at the LNMB because the legislature, which is a co-equal branch of the government, has
statutorily declared his tyranny as a deposed dictator and has recognized the heroism and sacrifices of
the Human Rights Violations Victims (HRVVs)71 under his regime. They insist that the intended act of
public respondents damages and makes mockery of the mandatory teaching of Martial Law atrocities
and of the lives and sacrifices of its victims. They contend that "reparation" under R.A. No. 10368 is non-
judicial in nature but a political action of the State through the Legislative and Executive branches by
providing administrative relief for the compensation, recognition, and memorialization of human rights
victims.

We beg to disagree.

Certainly, R.A. No. 10368 recognizes the heroism and sacrifices of all Filipinos who were victims of
summary execution, torture, enforced or involuntary disappearance, and other gross human rights
violations committed from September 21, 1972 to February 25, 1986. To restore their honor and dignity,
the State acknowledges its moral and legal obligation72 to provide reparation to said victims and/or their
families for the deaths, injuries, sufferings, deprivations and damages they experienced.

In restoring the rights and upholding the dignity of HRVVs, which is part of the right to an effective
remedy, R.A. No. 10368 entitles them to monetary and non-monetary reparation. Any HRVV qualified
under the law73 shall receive a monetary reparation, which is tax-free and without prejudice to the receipt
of any other sum from any other person or entity in any case involving human rights violations.74 Anent
the non-monetary reparation, the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD), the Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission on Higher Education
(CHED), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and such other
government agencies are required to render the necessary services for the HRVVs and/or their families,
as may be determined by the Human Rights Victims' Claims Board (Board) pursuant to the provisions of
the law.75chanrobleslaw

Additionally, R.A. No. 10368 requires the recognition of the violations committed against the HRVVs,
regardless of whether they opt to seek reparation or not. This is manifested by enshrining their names in
the Roll of Human Rights Violations Victims (Roll) prepared by the Board.76 The Roll may be displayed in
government agencies designated by the HRVV Memorial Commission (Commission).77 Also, a
Memorial/Museum/Library shall be established and a compendium of their sacrifices shall be prepared
and may be readily viewed and accessed in the internet.78 The Commission is created primarily for the
establishment, restoration, preservation and conservation of the Memorial/Museum/
Library/Compendium.79chanrobleslaw

To memorialize80 the HRVVs, the Implementing Rules and Regulations of R.A. No. 10368 further
mandates that: (1) the database prepared by the Board derived from the processing of claims shall be
turned over to the Commission for archival purposes, and made accessible for the promotion of human
rights to all government agencies and instrumentalities in order to prevent recurrence of similar abuses,
encourage continuing reforms and contribute to ending impunity;81 (2) the lessons learned from Martial
Law atrocities and the lives and sacrifices of HRVVs shall be included in the basic and higher education
curricula, as well as in continuing adult learning, prioritizing those most prone to commit human rights
violations;82 and (3) the Commission shall publish only those stories of HRVVs who have given prior
informed consent.83chanrobleslaw

This Court cannot subscribe to petitioners' logic that the beneficial provisions of R.A. No. 10368 are not
exclusive as it includes the prohibition on Marcos' burial at the LNMB. It would be undue to extend the
law beyond what it actually contemplates. With its victim-oriented perspective, our legislators could have
easily inserted a provision specifically proscribing Marcos' interment at the LNMB as a "reparation" for
the HRVVs, but they did not. As it is, the law is silent and should remain to be so. This Court cannot read
into the law what is simply not there. It is irregular, if not unconstitutional, for Us to presume the
legislative will by supplying material details into the law. That would be tantamount to judicial legislation.

Considering the foregoing, the enforcement of the HRVVs' rights under R.A. No 10368 will surely not be
impaired by the interment of Marcos at the LNMB. As opined by the OSG, the assailed act has no causal
connection and legal relation to the law. The subject memorandum and directive of public respondents
do not and cannot interfere with the statutory powers and functions of the Board and the Commission.
More importantly, the HRVVs' entitlements to the benefits provided for by R.A. No 10368 and other
domestic laws are not curtailed. It must be emphasized that R.A. No. 10368 does not amend or repeal,
whether express or implied, the provisions of the Administrative Code or AFP Regulations G 161-
375:ChanRoblesVirtualawlibrary
It is a well-settled rule of statutory construction that repeals by implication are not favored. In order to
effect a repeal by implication, the later statute must be so irreconcilably inconsistent and repugnant with
the existing law that they cannot be made to reconcile and stand together. The clearest case possible
must be made before the inference of implied repeal may be drawn, for inconsistency is never
presumed. There must be a showing of repugnance clear and convincing in character. The language
used in the later statute must be such as to render it irreconcilable with what had been formerly enacted.
An inconsistency that falls short of that standard does not suffice. x x x84chanroblesvirtuallawlibrary
C. On International Human Rights Laws

Petitioners argue that the burial of Marcos at the LNMB will violate the rights of the HRVVs to "full" and
"effective" reparation, which is provided under the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights (ICCPR),85 the Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation for
Victims of Gross Violations of International Human Rights Law and Serious Violations of International
Humanitarian Law86 adopted by the U.N. General Assembly on December 16, 2005, and the Updated
Set of Principles for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights Through Action to Combat
Impunity87 dated February 8, 2005 by the U.N. Economic and Social Council.

We do not think so. The ICCPR,88 as well as the U.N. principles on reparation and to combat impunity,
call for the enactment of legislative measures, establishment of national programmes, and provision for
administrative and judicial recourse, in accordance with the country's constitutional processes, that are
necessary to give effect to human rights embodied in treaties, covenants and other international laws.
The U.N. principles on reparation expressly states:ChanRoblesVirtualawlibrary
Emphasizing that the Basic Principles and Guidelines contained herein do not entail new international
or domestic legal obligations but identify mechanisms, modalities, procedures and methods for the
implementation of existing legal obligations under international human rights law and international
humanitarian law which are complementary though different as to their norms[.][Emphasis supplied]
The Philippines is more than compliant with its international obligations. When the Filipinos regained
their democratic institutions after the successful People Power Revolution that culminated on February
25, 1986, the three branches of the government have done their fair share to respect, protect and fulfill
the country's human rights obligations, to wit:

chanRoblesvirtualLawlibraryThe 1987 Constitution contains provisions that promote and protect human
rights and social justice.

As to judicial remedies, aside from the writs of habeas corpus, amparo,89 and habeas data,90 the
Supreme Court promulgated on March 1, 2007 Administrative Order No. 25-2007,91 which provides rules
on cases involving extra-judicial killings of political ideologists and members of the media. The provision
of the Basic Principles and Guidelines on the prevention of the victim's re-traumatization applies in the
course of legal and administrative procedures designed to provide justice and
reparation.92chanrobleslaw

On the part of the Executive Branch, it issued a number of administrative and executive orders. Notable
of which are the following:

1. A.O. No. 370 dated December 10, 1997 (Creating the Inter-Agency Coordinating Committee on
Human Rights)

2. E.O. No. 118 dated July 5, 1999 (Providing for the Creation of a National Committee on the
Culture of Peace) 

3. E.O. No. 134 dated July 31, 1999 (Declaring August 12, 1999 and Every 12th Day of August
Thereafter as International Humanitarian Law Day) 

4. E.O. No. 404 dated January 24, 2005 (Creating the Government of the Republic of the
Philippines Monitoring Committee [GRPMC] on Human Rights and International Humanitarian
Law) 

5. A.O. No. 157 dated August 21, 2006 (Creating an Independent Commission to Address Media
and Activist Killings)

6. A.O. No. 163 dated December 8, 2006 (Strengthening and Increasing the Membership of the
Presidential Human Rights Committee, and Expanding Further the Functions of Said
Committee)93chanrobleslaw

7. A.O. No. 181 dated July 3, 2007 (Directing the Cooperation and Coordination Between the
National Prosecution Service and Other Concerned Agencies of Government for the Successful
Investigation and Prosecution of Political and Media Killings)

8. A.O. No. 197 dated September 25, 2007 (DND and AFP Coordination with PHRC Sub-committee
on Killings and Disappearances) 

9. A.O. No. 211 dated November 26, 2007 (Creating a Task Force Against Political Violence) 

10. A.O. No. 249 dated December 10, 2008 (Further Strengthening Government Policies, Plans, and
Programs for the Effective Promotion and Protection of Human Rights on the Occasion of the
60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
 11. E.O. No. 847 dated November 23, 2009 (Creating the Church-Police-Military-Liaison Committee
to Formulate and Implement a Comprehensive Program to Establish Strong Partnership Between
the State and the Church on Matters Concerning Peace and Order and Human Rights) 

12. A.O. No. 35 dated November 22, 2012 (Creating the Inter-Agency Committee on Extra-Legal
Killings, Enforced Disappearances, Torture and Other Grave Violations of the Right to Life,
Liberty and Security of Persons) 

13. A.O. No. 1 dated October 11, 2016 (Creating the Presidential Task Force on Violations of the
Right to Life, Liberty and Security of the Members of the Media)

Finally, the Congress passed the following laws affecting human rights:

1. Republic Act No. 7438 (An Act Defining Certain Rights of Person Arrested, Detained or Under
Custodia/Investigation as well as the Duties of the Arresting, Detaining and Investigating Officers
and Providing Penalties for Violations Thereof)

2. Republic Act No. 8371 (The Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act of 1997)

3. Republic Act No. 9201 (National Human Rights Consciousness Week Act of 2002) 

4. Republic Act No. 9208 (Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003) 

5. Republic Act No. 9262 (Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004) 

6. Republic Act No. 9344 (Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006) 

7. Republic Act No. 9372 (Human Security Act of 2007) 

8. Republic Act No. 9710 (The Magna Carta of Women) 

9. Republic Act No. 9745 (Anti-Torture Act of 2009) 

10. Republic Act No. 9851 (Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law,
Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity) 

11. Republic Act No. 10121 (Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010) 

12. Republic Act No. 10168 (The Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012) 

13. Republic Act No. 10353 (Anti-Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance Act of 2012) 

14. Republic Act No. 10364 (Expanded Anti-Trafficking In Persons Act of 2012) 

15. Republic Act No. 10368 (Human Rights Victims Reparation And Recognition Act of 2013) 

16. Republic Act No. 10530 (The Red Cross and Other Emblems Act of 2013)

Contrary to petitioners' postulation, our nation's history will not be instantly revised by a single resolve of
President Duterte, acting through the public respondents, to bury Marcos at the LNMB. Whether
petitioners admit it or not, the lessons of Martial Law are already engraved, albeit in varying degrees, in
the hearts and minds of the present generation of Filipinos. As to the unborn, it must be said that the
preservation and popularization of our history is not the sole responsibility of the Chief Executive; it is a
joint and collective endeavor of every freedom-loving citizen of this country.
Notably, complementing the statutory powers and functions of the Human Rights Victims' Claims Board
and the HRVV Memorial Commission in the memorialization of HRVVs, the National Historical
Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), formerly known as the National Historical Institute (NHI),94 is
mandated to act as the primary government agency responsible for history and is authorized to
determine all factual matters relating to official Philippine history.95 Among others, it is tasked to: (a)
conduct and support all kinds of research relating to Philippine national and local history; (b) develop
educational materials in various media, implement historical educational activities for the popularization
of Philippine history, and disseminate, information regarding Philippine historical events, dates, places
and personages; and (c) actively engage in the settlement or resolution of controversies or issues
relative to historical personages, places, dates and events.96 Under R.A. Nos. 10066 (National Cultural
Heritage Act of 2009)97 and 10086 (Strengthening Peoples' Nationalism Through Philippine History
Act),98 the declared State policy is to conserve, develop, promote, and popularize the nation's historical
and cultural heritage and resources.99 Towards this end, means shall be provided to strengthen people's
nationalism, love of country, respect for its heroes and pride for the people's accomplishments by
reinforcing the importance of Philippine national and local history in daily life with the end in view of
raising social consciousness.100 Utmost priority shall be given not only with the research on history but
also its popularization.101chanrobleslaw

II. 
The President's decision to bury Marcos at the LNMB is not done whimsically, capriciously or
arbitrarily, out of malice, ill will or personal bias

Petitioners contend that the interment of Marcos at the LNMB will desecrate it as a sacred and hallowed
place and a revered national shrine where the mortal remains of our country's great men and women are
interred for the inspiration and emulation of the present generation and generations to come. They erred.

A. National Shrines

As one of the cultural properties of the Philippines, national historical shrines (or historical shrines) refer
to sites or structures hallowed and revered for their history or association as declared by the
NHCP.102 The national shrines created by law and presidential issuance include, among others: Fort
Santiago (Dambana ng Kalayaan) in Manila;103 all battlefield areas in Corregidor and Bataan;104 the site
of First Mass in the Philippines in Magallanes, Limasawa, Leyte;105 Aguinaldo Shrine or Freedom Shrine
in Kawit, Cavite;106 Fort San Antonio Abad National Shrine in Malate, Manila;107 Tirad Pass National
Shrine in Ilocos Sur;108 Ricarte Shrine109 and Aglipay Shrine110 in Batac, Ilocos Norte; Liberty Shrine in
Lapu-Lapu, Cebu;111 "Red Beach" or the landing point of General Douglas MacArthur and the liberating
forces in Baras, Palo, Leyte;112 Dapitan City as a National Shrine City in Zamboanga Del
Norte;113 General Leandro Locsin Fullon National Shrine in Hamtic, Antique;114 and Mabini Shrine in
Polytechnic University of the Philippines - Mabini Campus, Sta. Mesa, Manila.115 As sites of the birth,
exile, imprisonment, detention or death of great and eminent leaders of the nation, it is the policy of the
Government to hold and keep the national shrines as sacred and hallowed place.116 P.O. No.
105117 strictly prohibits and punishes by imprisonment and/or fine the desecration of national shrines by
disturbing their peace and serenity through digging, excavating, defacing, causing unnecessary noise,
and committing unbecoming acts within their premises. R.A. No. 10066 also makes it punishable to
intentionally modify, alter, or destroy the original features of, or undertake construction or real estate
development in any national shrine, monument, landmark and other historic edifices and structures,
declared, classified, and marked by the NHCP as such, without the prior written permission from the
National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCAA).118chanrobleslaw

As one of the cultural agencies attached to the NCAA,119 the NHCP manages, maintains and administers
national shrines, monuments, historical sites, edifices and landmarks of significant historico-cultural
value.120 In particular, the NHCP Board has the power to approve the declaration of historic structures
and sites, such as national shrines, monuments, landmarks and heritage houses and to determine the
manner of their identification, maintenance, restoration, conservation, preservation and
protection.121chanrobleslaw

Excluded, however, from the jurisdiction of the NHCP are the military memorials and battle monuments
declared as national shrines, which have been under the administration, maintenance and development
of the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) of the DND. Among the military shrines are: Mt. Samat
National Shrine in Pilar, Bataan;122 Kiangan War Memorial Shrine in Linda, Kiangan, Ifugao;123 Capas
National Shrine in Capas, Tarlac;124 Ricarte National Shrine in Malasin, Batac, Ilocos Norte;125 Balantang
Memorial Cemetery National Shrine in Jaro, Iloilo;126 Balete Pass National Shrine in Sta. Fe, Nueva
Vizcaya;127 USAFIP, NL Military Shrine and Park in Bessang Pass, Cervantes, Ilocos Sur;128 and the
LNMB in Taguig City, Metro Manila.129chanrobleslaw

B. The Libingan Ng Mga Bayani

At the end of World War II, the entire nation was left mourning for the death of thousands of Filipinos.
Several places served as grounds for the war dead, such as the Republic Memorial Cemetery, the
Bataan Memorial Cemetery, and other places throughout the country. The Republic Memorial Cemetery,
in particular, was established in May 1947 as a fitting tribute and final resting place of Filipino military
personnel who died in World War II.

On October 23, 1954, President Ramon D. Magsaysay, Sr. issued E.O. No. 77, which ordered "the
remains of the war dead interred at the Bataan Memorial Cemetery, Bataan Province, and at other
places in the Philippines, be transferred to, and reinterred at, the Republic Memorial Cemetery at Fort
Wm Mckinley, Rizal Province" so as to minimize the expenses for the maintenance and upkeep, and to
make the remains accessible to the widows, parents, children, relatives, and friends.

On October 27, 1954, President Magsaysay issued Proclamation No. 86, which changed the name of
Republic Memorial Cemetery to Libingan Ng Mga Bayani to symbolize "the cause for which our soldiers
have died" and to "truly express the nations esteem and reverence for her war dead."130chanrobleslaw

On July 12, 1957, President Carlos P. Garcia issued Proclamation No. 423, which reserved for military
purposes, under the administration of the AFP Chief of Staff, the land where LNMB is located. The
LNMB was part of a military reservation site then known as Fort Wm McKinley (now known as Fort
Andres Bonifacio).

On May 28, 1967, Marcos issued Proclamation No. 208, which excluded the LNMB from the Fort
Bonifacio military reservation and reserved the LNMB for national shrine purposes under the
administration of the National Shrines Commission (NSC) under the DND.

On September 24, 1972, Marcos, in the exercise of his powers as the AFP Commander-in-Chief, and
pursuant to Proclamation No. 1081 dated September 21, 1972, and General Order No. 1 dated
September 22, 1972, as amended, issued Presidential Decree (P.D.) No. 1 which reorganized the
Executive Branch of the National Government through the adoption of the Integrated Reorganization
Plan (IRP). Section 7, Article XV, Chapter I, Part XII thereof abolished the NSC and its functions
together with applicable appropriations, records, equipment, property and such personnel as may be
necessary were transferred to the NHI under the Department of Education (DEC). The NHI was
responsible for promoting and preserving the Philippine cultural heritage by undertaking, inter alia,
studies on Philippine history and national heroes and maintaining national shrines and
monuments.131chanrobleslaw

Pending the organization of the DEC, the functions relative to the administration, maintenance and
development of national shrines tentatively integrated into the PVAO in July 1973.
On January 26, 1977, President Marcos issued P.D. No. 1076. Section 7, Article XV, Chapter I, Part XII
of the IRP was repealed on the grounds that "the administration, maintenance and development of
national shrines consisting of military memorials or battle monuments can be more effectively
accomplished if they are removed from the [DEC] and transferred to the [DND] by reason of the latter s
greater capabilities and resources" and that "the functions of the [DND] are more closely related and
relevant to the charter or significance of said national shrines." Henceforth, the PVAO through the
Military Shrines Service (MSS), which was created to perform the functions of the abolished NSC -
would administer, maintain and develop military memorials and battle monuments proclaimed as
national shrines.

On July 25, 1987, President Corazon C. Aquino issued the Administrative Code. The Code retains
PVAO under the supervision and control of the Secretary of National Defense.132 Among others, PVAO
shall administer, develop and maintain military shrines.133 With the approval of PVAO Rationalization
Plan on June 29, 2010, pursuant to E.O. No. 366 dated October 4, 2004, MSS was renamed to Veterans
Memorial and Historical Division, under the supervision and control of PVAO, which is presently tasked
with the management and development of military shrines and the perpetuation of the heroic deeds of
our nation's veterans.

As a national military shrine, the main features, structures, and facilities of the LNMB are as follows:

1. Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers - The main structure constructed at the center of the cemetery
where wreath laying ceremonies are held when Philippine government officials and foreign
dignitaries visit the LNMB. The following inscription is found on the tomb: "Here lies a Filipino
soldier whose name is known only to God." Behind the tomb are three marble pillars representing
the three main island groups of the Philippines - Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Buried here were
the remains of 39,000 Filipino soldiers who were originally buried in Camp O'Donnell
Concentration Camp and Fort Santiago, Intramuros, Manila.

2. Heroes Memorial Gate - A structure shaped in the form of a large concrete tripod with a stairway
leading to an upper view deck and a metal sculpture at the center. This is the first imposing
structure one sees upon entering the grounds of the cemetery complex.

3. Black Stone Walls - Erected on opposite sides of the main entrance road leading to the Tomb of
the Unknown Soldiers and just near the Heroes Memorial are two 12-foot high black stone walls
which bear the words, "I do not know the dignity of his birth, but I do know the glory of his death."
that General Douglas MacArthur made during his sentimental journey to the Philippines in 1961.

4. Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor Memorial Pylon - Inaugurated on April 5, 1977 by

Secretary Renato S. De Villa in memory of the defenders of Bataan and Corregidor during World
War II. This monument is dedicated as an eternal acknowledgment of their valor and sacrifice in
defense of the Philippines.

5. Korean Memorial Pylon - A towering monument honoring the 112 Filipino officers and men who,
as members of the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK), perished during the
Korean War.

6. Vietnam Veterans Memorial Pylon - Dedicated to the members of the Philippine contingents
and Philippine civic action groups to Vietnam (PHILCON-V and PHILCAG-V) who served as
medical, dental, engineering construction, community and psychological workers, and security
complement. They offered tremendous sacrifices as they alleviated human suffering in war-
ravaged Vietnam from 1964-1971. Inscribed on the memorial pylon are the words: "To build and
not to destroy, to bring the Vietnamese people happiness and not sorrow, to develop goodwill
and not hatred."
 7. Philippine World War II Guerillas Pylon - Erected by the Veterans Federation of the Philippines
as a testimony to the indomitable spirit and bravery of the Filipino guerillas of World War II who
refused to be cowed into submission and carried on the fight for freedom against an enemy with
vastly superior arms and under almost insurmountable odds. Their hardship and sufferings, as
well as their defeats and victories, are enshrined in this memorial.134

Contrary to the dissent, P.D. No. 105135 does not apply to the LNMB. Despite the fact that P.D. No. 208
predated P.D. No. 105,136 the LNMB was not expressly included in the national shrines enumerated in
the latter.137 The proposition that the LNMB is implicitly covered in the catchall phrase "and others which
may be proclaimed in the future as National Shrines" is erroneous because:

chanRoblesvirtualLawlibrary(1) As stated, Marcos issued P.D. No. 208 prior to P.D. No. 105.

(2) Following the canon of statutory construction known as ejusdem generis,138 the LNMB is not a site
"of the birth, exile, imprisonment, detention or death of great and eminent leaders of the nation." What
P.D. No. 105 contemplates are the following national shrines: Fort Santiago ("Dambana ng Kalayaan"),
all battlefield areas in Corregidor and Bataan, the site of First Mass in the Philippines, Aguinaldo Shrine
or Freedom Shrine, Fort San Antonio Abad National Shrine, Tirad Pass National Shrine, Ricarte Shrine,
Aglipay Shrine, Liberty Shrine, "Red Beach" or the landing point of General Douglas MacArthur and the
liberating forces, Dapitan City, General Leandro Locsin Fullon National Shrine, and Mabini Shrine.
Excluded are the military memorials and battle monuments declared as national shrines under the
PVAO, such as: Mt. Samat National Shrine, Kiangan War Memorial Shrine, Capas National Shrine,
Ricarte National Shrine, Balantang Memorial Cemetery National Shrine, Balete Pass National Shrine;
USAFIP, NL Military Shrine and Park, and the LNMB.

(3) Since its establishment, the LNMB has been a military shrine under the jurisdiction of the PVAO.
While P.D. No. 1 dated September 24, 1972 transferred the administration, maintenance and
development of national shrines to the NHI under the DEC, it never actually materialized. Pending the
organization of the DEC, its functions relative to national shrines were tentatively integrated into the
PVAO in July 1973. Eventually, on January 26, 1977, Marcos issued P.D. No. 1076. The PVAO, through
the MSS, was tasked to administer, maintain, and develop military memorials and battle monuments
proclaimed as national shrines. The reasons being that "the administration, maintenance and
development of national shrines consisting of military memorials or battle monuments can be more
effectively accomplished if they are removed from the [DEC] and transferred to the [DND] by reason of
the latter's greater capabilities and resources" and that "the functions of the [DND] are more closely
related and relevant to the charter or significance of said national shrines."

The foregoing interpretation is neither narrow and myopic nor downright error. Instead, it is consistent
with the letter and intent of P.D. No. 105.

Assuming that P.D. No. 105 is applicable, the descriptive words "sacred and hallowed" refer to the
LNMB as a place and not to each and every mortal remains interred therein. Hence, the burial of Marcos
at the LNMB does not diminish said cemetery as a revered and respected ground. Neither does it
negate the presumed individual or collective "heroism" of the men and women buried or will be buried
therein. The "nations esteem and reverence for her war dead," as originally contemplated by President
Magsaysay in issuing Proclamation No. 86, still stands unaffected. That being said, the interment of
Marcos, therefore, does not constitute a violation of the physical, historical, and cultural integrity of the
LNMB as a national military shrine.

At this juncture, reference should be made to Arlington National Cemetery (Arlington), which is identical
to the LNMB in terms of its prominence in the U.S. It is not amiss to point that our armed forces have
been patterned after the U.S. and that its military code produced a salutary effect in the Philippines'
military justice system.139 Hence, relevant military rules, regulations, and practices of the U.S. have
persuasive, if not the same, effect in this jurisdiction.

As one of the U.S. Army national military cemeteries,140 the Arlington is under the jurisdiction of the
Department of the Army.141 The Secretary of the U.S. Army has the responsibility to develop, operate,
manage, administer, oversee, and fund the Army national military cemeteries in a manner and to
standards that fully honor the service and sacrifices of the deceased members of the armed forces
buried or inurned therein, and shall prescribe such regulations and policies as may be necessary to
administer the cemeteries.142 In addition, the Secretary of the U.S. Army is empowered to appoint an
advisory committee, which shall make periodic reports and recommendations as well as advise the
Secretary with respect to the administration of the cemetery, the erection of memorials at the cemetery,
and master planning for the cemetery.143chanrobleslaw

Similar to the Philippines, the U.S. national cemeteries are established as national shrines in tribute to
the gallant dead who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.144 The areas are protected, managed and
administered as suitable and dignified burial grounds and as significant cultural resources.145 As such,
the authorization of activities that take place therein is limited to those that are consistent with applicable
legislation and that are compatible with maintaining their solemn commemorative and historic
character.146chanrobleslaw

The LNMB is considered as a national shrine for military memorials. The PVAO, which is empowered to
administer, develop, and maintain military shrines, is under the supervision and control of the DND. The
DND, in turn, is under the Office of the President.

The presidential power of control over the Executive Branch of Government is a self-executing provision
of the Constitution and does not require statutory implementation, nor may its exercise be limited, much
less withdrawn, by the legislature.147 This is why President Duterte is not bound by the alleged 1992
Agreement148 between former President Ramos and the Marcos family to have the remains of Marcos
interred in Batac, Ilocos Norte. As the incumbent President, he is free to amend, revoke or rescind
political agreements entered into by his predecessors, and to determine policies which he considers,
based on informed judgment and presumed wisdom, will be most effective in carrying out his mandate.

Moreover, under the Administrative Code, the President has the power to reserve for public use and for
specific public purposes any of the lands of the public domain and that the reserved land shall remain
subject to the specific public purpose indicated until otherwise provided by law or proclamation.149 At
present, there is no law or executive issuance specifically excluding the land in which the LNMB is
located from the use it was originally intended by the past Presidents. The allotment of a cemetery plot
at the LNMB for Marcos as a former President and Commander-in-Chief,150 a legislator,151 a Secretary of
National Defense,152 a military personnel,153 a veteran,154 and a Medal of Valor awardee,155 whether
recognizing his contributions or simply his status as such, satisfies the public use requirement. The
disbursement of public funds to cover the expenses incidental to the burial is granted to compensate him
for valuable public services rendered.156 Likewise, President Duterte's determination to have Marcos'
remains interred at the LNMB was inspired by his desire for national healing and reconciliation.
Presumption of regularity in the performance of official duty prevails over petitioners' highly disputed
factual allegation that, in the guise of exercising a presidential prerogative, the Chief Executive is
actually motivated by utang na loob (debt of gratitude) and bayad utang (payback) to the Marcoses. As
the purpose is not self-evident, petitioners have the burden of proof to establish the factual basis of their
claim. They failed. Even so, this Court cannot take cognizance of factual issues since We are not a trier
of facts.

C. AFP Regulations on the LNMB

A review of the regulations issued by the AFP Chief of Staff as to who may and may not be interred at
the LNMB underscores the nature and purpose of the LNMB as an active military cemetery/grave site.
On May 13, 1947, the Chief of Staff of the Philippine Army, by the direction of the President and by order
of the Secretary of National Defense, issued General Orders No. 111, which constituted and activated,
as of said date, the Graves Registration Platoon as a unit of the Philippine Army.

On February 2, 1960, the AFP Chief of Staff, by order of the Secretary of National Defense, issued AFP
Regulations G 161-371 (Administrative and Special Staff Services, Grave Registration Service), which
provided that the following may be interred in the LNMB: (a) World War II dead of the AFP and
recognized guerillas; (b) Current dead of the AFP; (c) Retired military personnel of the AFP; (d) Remains
of former members of the AFP who died while in the active service and in the Retired List of the AFP
now interred at different cemeteries and other places throughout the Philippines or the Secretary of
National Defense; and (e) Others upon approval of the Congress of the Philippines, the President of the
Philippines or the Secretary of National Defense. The regulation also stated that the AFP Quartermaster
General will be responsible for, among other matters, the efficient operation of the Graves Registration
Service; the interment, disinterment and reinterment of the dead mentioned above; and preservation of
military cemeteries, national cemeteries, and memorials.

On July 31, 1973, the AFP Chief of Staff, by order of the Secretary of National Defense, issued AFP
Regulations G 161-372 (Administration and Operation of AFP Graves Registration Installations), which
superseded AFP Regulations G 161-371. It provided that the following may be interred in the LNMB: (a)
Deceased Veterans of the Philippine Revolution of 1896/World War I; (b) Deceased World War II
members of the AFP and recognized guerillas; (c) Deceased military personnel of the AFP who died
while in the active duty; (d) Deceased retired military personnel of the AFP; (e) Deceased military
personnel of the AFP interred at different cemeteries and other places outside the LNMB; and (f) Such
remains of persons as the Commander-in-Chief of the AFP may direct. The remains of the following
were not allowed to be interred in the LNMB: (a) The spouse of an active, or retired, deceased military
personnel, recognized guerillas who himself/herself is not a military personnel; and (b) AFP personnel
who were retireable but separated/reverted/discharged for cause, or joined and aided the enemy of the
Republic of the Philippines, or were convicted of capital or other criminal offenses, involving moral
turpitude. The regulation also stated that the Quartermaster General shall be responsible for, among
other matters, the efficient operation of the AFP graves registration installations; the interment,
disinterment and reinterment of deceased military personnel mentioned above; and the preservation of
military cemeteries, proper marking and official recording of graves therein.

On April 9, 1986, AFP Chief of Staff Fidel V. Ramos, by order of National Defense Minister, issued AFP
Regulations G 161-373 (Allocation of Cemetery Plots at the Libingan Ng Mga Bayani), which
superseded AFP Regulations G 161-372. It enumerated a list of deceased person who may be interred
at the LNMB, namely: (a) Medal of Valor Awardees; (b) Presidents or Commanders-in-Chief, AFP; (c)
Ministers of National Defense; (d) Chiefs of Staff, AFP; (e) General/Flag Officers of the AFP; (f) Active
and retired military personnel of the AFP; (g) Veterans of Philippine Revolution of 1896, WWI, WWII and
recognized guerillas; and (h) Government Dignitaries, Statesmen, National Artist and other deceased
persons whose interment or reinterment has been approved by the Commander-in-Chief, Batasang
Pambansa or the Minister of National Defense. The regulation also stated that the Quartermaster
General shall be responsible for the allocation of specific section/areas for the said deceased persons,
while the Commanding Officer of the Quartermaster Graves Registration Company shall be charged with
the preparation of grave sites, supervision of burials at LNMB and the registration of graves.

On March 27, 1998, the AFP Chief of Staff, by order of the Secretary of National Defense, issued AFP
Regulations G 161-374 (Allocation of Cemetery Plots at the Libingan Ng Mga Bayani), which
superseded AFP Regulations G 161-373. It provided that the following may be interred in the LNMB: (a)
Medal of Valor Awardees; (b) Presidents or Commanders-inChief, AFP; (c) Secretaries of National
Defense; (d) Chiefs of Staff, AFP; (e) General/Flag Officers of the AFP; (f) Active and retired military
personnel of the AFP; (g) Veterans of Philippine Revolution of 1890, WWI, WWII and recognized
guerillas; (h) Government Dignitaries, Statesmen, National Artists and other deceased persons whose
interment or reinterment has been approved by the Commander-in-Chief, Congress or Secretary of
National Defense; and (i) Former Presidents, Secretaries of Defense, CSAFP, Generals/Flag Officers,
Dignitaries, Statesmen, National Artists, widows of former Presidents, Secretaries of National Defense
and Chief of Staff. The remains of the following were not allowed to be interred in the LNMB: (a)
Personnel who were dishonorably separated/reverted/discharged from the service; and (b) Authorized
personnel who were convicted by final judgment of an offense involving moral turpitude. Like AFP
Regulations G 161-373, it stated that the Quartermaster General shall be responsible for the allocation
of specific section/areas for the deceased persons, whereas the Commanding Officer of the
Quartermaster Graves Registration Unit shall be charged with the preparation of grave sites, supervision
of burials, and the registration of graves.

Finally, on September 11, 2000, the AFP Chief of Staff, by the order of the Secretary of National
Defense, issued AFP Regulations G 161-375 (Allocation of Cemetery Plots at the Libingan Ng Mga
Bayani), which superseded AFP Regulations G 161-374. The regulation stated that the Chief of Staff
shall be responsible for the issuance of interment directive for all active military personnel for interment,
authorized personnel (such as those former members of the AFP who laterally entered or joined the
Philippine Coast Guard [PCG] and the Philippine National Police [PNP]), and retirees, veterans and
reservists enumerated therein. The Quartermaster General is tasked to exercise over-all supervision in
the implementation of the regulation and the Commander ASCOM, PA through the Commanding Officer
of Grave Services Unit is charged with the registration of the deceased/graves, the allocation of specific
section/area at the LNMB for interment of deceased, the preparation of grave sites, and the supervision
of burials.

Under AFP Regulations G 161-375, the following are eligible for interment at the LNMB: (a) Medal of
Valor Awardees; (b) Presidents or Commanders-in-Chief, AFP; (c) Secretaries of National Defense; (d)
Chiefs of Staff, AFP; (e) General/Flag Officers of the AFP; (f) Active and retired military personnel of the
AFP to include active draftees and trainees who died in line of duty, active reservists and CAFGU Active
Auxiliary (CAA) who died in combat operations or combat related activities; (g) Former members of the
AFP who laterally entered or joined the PCG and the PNP; (h) Veterans of Philippine Revolution of
1890, WWI, WWII and recognized guerillas; (i) Government Dignitaries, Statesmen, National Artists and
other deceased persons whose interment or reinterment has been approved by the Commander-in-
Chief, Congress or the Secretary of National Defense; and G) Former Presidents, Secretaries of
Defense, Dignitaries, Statesmen, National Artists, widows of Former Presidents, Secretaries of National
Defense and Chief of Staff. Similar to AFP Regulations G 161-374, the following are not qualified to be
interred in the LNMB: (a) Personnel who were dishonorably separated/reverted/discharged from the
service; and (b) Authorized personnel who were convicted by final judgment of an offense involving
moral turpitude.

In the absence of any executive issuance or law to the contrary, the AFP Regulations G 161-375
remains to be the sole authority in determining who are entitled and disqualified to be interred at the
LNMB. Interestingly, even if they were empowered to do so, former Presidents Corazon C. Aquino and
Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III, who were themselves aggrieved at the Martial Law, did not revise the
rules by expressly prohibiting the burial of Marcos at the LNMB. The validity of AFP Regulations G 161-
375 must, therefor, be sustained for having been issued by the AFP Chief of Staff acting under the
direction of the Secretary of National Defense, who is the alter ego of the President.
x x x In Joson v. Torres, we explained the concept of the alter ego principle or the doctrine of qualified
political agency and its limit in this wise:

chanRoblesvirtualLawlibraryUnder this doctrine, which recognizes the establishment of a single

executive, all executive and administrative organizations are adjuncts of the Executive Department, the
heads of the various executive departments are assistants and agents of the Chief Executive,
and, except in cases where the Chief Executive is required by the Constitution or law to act in
person or the exigencies of the situation demand that he act personally, the multifarious executive
and administrative functions of the Chief Executive are performed by and through the executive
departments, and the acts of the Secretaries of such departments, performed and promulgated in the
regular course of business, are, unless disapproved or reprobated by the Chief Executive presumptively
the acts of the Chief Executive. (Emphasis ours, citation omitted.)157chanroblesvirtuallawlibrary
It has been held that an administrative regulation adopted pursuant to law has the force and effect of law
and, until set aside, is binding upon executive and administrative agencies, including the President as
the chief executor of laws.158chanrobleslaw

1. Qualification under the AFP Regulations

AFP Regulations G 161-375 should not be stricken down in the absence of clear and unmistakable
showing that it has been issued with grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of
jurisdiction. Neither could it be considered ultra vires for purportedly providing incomplete, whimsical,
and capricious standards for qualification for burial at the LNMB.

To compare, We again refer to the U.S. Army regulations on Arlington. In the U.S., the Secretary of the
Army, with the approval of the Secretary of Defense, determines eligibility for interment or inurnment in
the Army national military cemeteries.159 Effective October 26, 2016, the rule160 is as
follows:ChanRoblesVirtualawlibrary
Only those who qualify as a primarily eligible person or a derivatively eligible person are eligible for
interment in Arlington National Cemetery, unless otherwise prohibited as provided for in §§ 553.19161-
553.20,162 provided that the last period of active duty of the service member or veteran ended with an
honorable discharge.

(a) Primarily eligible persons. The following are primarily eligible persons for purposes of interment:

chanRoblesvirtualLawlibrary(1) Any service member who dies on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces
(except those service members serving on active duty for training only), if the General Courts Martial
Convening Authority grants a certificate of honorable service. 

(2) Any veteran retired from a Reserve component who served a period of active duty (other than for
training), is carried on the official retired list, and is entitled to receive military retired pay. 

(3) Any veteran retired from active military service and entitled to receive military retired pay. 

(4) Any veteran who received an honorable discharge from the Armed Forces prior to October 1, 1949,
who was discharged for a permanent physical disability, who served on active duty (other than for
training), and who would have been eligible for retirement under the provisions of 10 U.S.C. 1201 had
the statute been in effect on the date of separation. 

(5) Any veteran awarded one of the following decorations:

chanRoblesvirtualLawlibrary(i) Medal of Honor;163chanrobleslaw

(ii) Distinguished Service Cross, Air Force Cross, or Navy Cross; 

(iii) Distinguished Service Medal; 

(iv) Silver Star; or 

(v) Purple Heart. 

(6) Any veteran who served on active duty (other than active duty for training) and who held any of the
following positions:

chanRoblesvirtualLawlibrary(i) President or Vice President of the United States; 

(ii) Elected member of the U.S. Congress; 

(iii) Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States or Associate Justice of the Supreme Court
of the United States; 

(iv) A position listed, at the time the person held the position, in 5 U.S.C. 5312164 or 5313165 (Levels I and
II of the Executive Schedule); or

(v) Chief of Mission of a Category 4, 5, or post if the Department of State classified that post as a
Category 4, 5, or 5+ post during the person's tenure as Chief of Mission.

(7) Any former prisoner of war who, while a prisoner of war, served honorably in the active military
service, and who died on or after November 30, 1993. 

(b) Derivatively eligible persons. The following individuals are derivatively eligible persons for purposes
of interment who may be interred if space is available in the gravesite of the primarily eligible person:

chanRoblesvirtualLawlibrary(1) The spouse of a primarily eligible person who is or will be interred in

Arlington National Cemetery. A former spouse of a primarily eligible person is not eligible for interment in
Arlington National Cemetery under this paragraph.

(2) The spouse of an active duty service member or an eligible veteran, who was:

chanRoblesvirtualLawlibrary(i) Lost or buried at sea, temporarily interred overseas due to action by the
Government, or officially determined to be missing in action;

(ii) Buried in a U.S. military cemetery maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission; or 

(iii) Interred in Arlington National Cemetery as part of a group burial (the derivatively eligible spouse may
not be buried in the group burial gravesite).

(3) The parents of a minor child or a permanently dependent adult child, whose remains were interred in
Arlington National Cemetery based on the eligibility of a parent at the time of the child's death, unless
eligibility of the non-service connected parent is lost through divorce from the primarily eligible parent.

(4) An honorably discharged veteran who does not qualify as a primarily eligible person, if the veteran
will be buried in the same gravesite as an already interred primarily eligible person who is a close
relative, where the interment meets the following conditions:

chanRoblesvirtualLawlibrary(i) The veteran is without minor or unmarried adult dependent children; 

(ii) The veteran will not occupy space reserved for the spouse, a minor child, or a permanently
dependent adult child; 

(iii) All other close relatives of the primarily eligible person concur with the interment of the veteran with
the primarily eligible person by signing a notarized statement; 

(iv) The veteran's spouse waives any entitlement to interment in Arlington National Cemetery, where
such entitlement might be based on the veteran's interment in Arlington National Cemetery. The
Executive Director may set aside the spouse's waiver, provided space is available in the same gravesite,
and all close relatives of the primarily eligible person concur; 

(v) Any cost of moving, recasketing, or revaulting the remains will be paid from private funds.
There is a separate list of eligible with respect to the inurnment of cremated remains in the
Columbarium,166 interment of cremated remains in the Unmarked Area,167 and group burial.168 As a
national military cemetery, eligibility standards for interment, inurnment, or memorialization in Arlington
are based on honorable military service.169 Exceptions to the eligibility standards for new graves,
which are rarely granted, are for those persons who have made significant contributions that directly
and substantially benefited the U.S. military.170chanrobleslaw

Judging from the foregoing, it is glaring that the U.S. Army regulations on Arlington and the AFP
Regulations G 161-375 on the LNMB, as a general rule, recognize and reward the military services or
military related activities of the deceased. Compared with the latter, however, the former is actually less
generous in granting the privilege of interment since only the spouse or parent, under certain conditions,
may be allowed "if space is available in the gravesite of the primarily eligible person."

It is not contrary to the "well-established custom," as the dissent described it, to argue that the word
"bayani" in the LNMB has become a misnomer since while a symbolism of heroism may attach to the
LNMB as a national shrine for military memorial, the same does not automatically attach to its feature as
a military cemetery and to those who were already laid or will be laid therein. As stated, the purpose of
the LNMB, both from the legal and historical perspectives, has neither been to confer to the people
buried there the title of "hero" nor to require that only those interred therein should be treated as a
"hero." In fact, the privilege of internment at the LNMB has been loosen up through the years. Since
1986, the list of eligible includes not only those who rendered active military service or military-related
activities but also non-military personnel who were recognized for their significant contributions to the
Philippine society (such as government dignitaries, statesmen, national artists, and other deceased
persons whose interment or reinterment has been approved by the Commander-in-Chief, Congress or
Secretary of National Defense). In 1998, the widows of former Presidents, Secretaries of National
Defense and Chief of Staff were added to the list. Whether or not the extension of burial privilege to
civilians is unwarranted and should be restricted in order to be consistent with the original purpose of the
LNMB is immaterial and irrelevant to the issue at bar since it is indubitable that Marcos had rendered
significant active military service and military-related activities.

Petitioners did not dispute that Marcos was a former President and Commander-in-Chief, a legislator, a
Secretary of National Defense, a military personnel, a veteran, and a Medal of Valor awardee. For his
alleged human rights abuses and corrupt practices, we may disregard Marcos as a President and
Commander-in-Chief, but we cannot deny him the right to be acknowledged based on the other
positions he held or the awards he received. In this sense, We agree with the proposition that Marcos
should be viewed and judged in his totality as a person. While he was not all good, he was not pure evil
either. Certainly, just a human who erred like us.

Our laws give high regard to Marcos as a Medal of Valor awardee and a veteran. R.A. No.
9049171 declares the policy of the State "to consistently honor its military heroes in order to strengthen
the patriotic spirit and nationalist consciousness of the military."172 For the "supreme self-sacrifice and
distinctive acts of heroism and gallantry,"173 a Medal of Valor awardee or his/her
dependents/heirs/beneficiaries are entitled to the following social services and financial rewards:

1. Tax-exempt lifetime monthly gratuity of Twenty Thousand Pesos (P20,000.00), which is separate
and distinct from any salary or pension that the awardee currently receives or will receive from the
government of the Philippines;174chanrobleslaw
 2. Precedence in employment in government agencies or government-owned or controlled
corporation, if the job qualifications or requirements are met; 

3. Priority in the approval of the awardee's housing application under existing housing programs of
the government;

4. Priority in the acquisition of public lands under the Public Land Act and preferential right in the
lease of pasture lands and exploitation of natural resources; 

5. Privilege of obtaining loans in an aggregate amount not exceeding Five Hundred Thousand
Pesos (P500,000.00) from governmentowned or controlled financial institutions without having to
put up any collateral or constitute any pledge or mortgage to secure the payment of the loan; 

6. Twenty (20%) percent discount from all establishments relative to utilization of transportation
services, hotels and similar lodging establishments, restaurants, recreation and sport centers and
purchase of medicine anywhere in the country; 

7. Twenty (20%) percent discount on admission fees charged by theaters, cinema houses and
concert halls, circuses, carnivals and other similar places of culture, leisure and amusement; 

8. Free medical and dental services and consultation in hospital and clinics anywhere in the
country; 

9. Exemption from the payment of tuition and matriculation fees in public or private schools,
universities, colleges and other educational institutions in any pre-school, baccalaureate or post
graduate courses such as or including course leading to the degree of Doctor of Medicine (MD),
Bachelor of Laws (LLB), and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or allied and similar courses;
and cralawlawlibrary

10. If interested and qualified, a quota is given to join the cadet corps of the Philippine Military
Academy or otherwise priority for direct commission, call to active duty (CAD) and/or enlistment in
regular force of the AFP.

On the other hand, in recognizing their patriotic services in times of war and peace for the cause of
freedom and democracy; for the attainment of national unity, independence, and socioeconomic
advancement; and for the maintenance of peace and order,175 R.A. No. 6948, as amended,176 grants our
veterans177 and their dependents or survivors with pension (old age, disability, total administrative
disability, and death) and non-pension (burial, education, hospitalization, and medical care and
treatment) benefits as well as provisions from the local governments. Under the law, the benefits may be
withheld if the Commission on Human Rights certifies to the AFP General Headquarters that the veteran
has been found guilty by final judgment of a gross human rights violation while in the service, but
this factor shall not be considered taken against his next of kin.178chanrobleslaw

2. Disqualification under the AFP Regulations

Aside from being eligible for burial at the LNMB, Marcos possessed none of the disqualifications stated
in AFP Regulations G 161-375. He was neither convicted by final judgment of the offense involving
moral turpitude nor dishonorably separated/reverted/discharged from active military service.

Petitioners, however, protest that a narrow interpretation of the AFP regulations disregards historical
context and the rule on statutory construction. They urge the Court to construe statutes not literally but
according to their spirit and reason.

It is argued that Marcos committed offenses involving moral turpitude for his gross human rights
violations, massive graft and corruption, and dubious military records, as found by foreign and local
courts as well as administrative agencies. By going into exile, he deliberately evaded liability for his
actions. And by allowing death to overtake him, he inevitablyx`x escaped the prospect of facing
accountability for his crimes. They also contend that his removal in the 1986 popular uprising is a clear
sign of his discharge from the AFP. The People Power Revolution was the direct exercise of the
Filipinos' power to overthrow an illegitimate and oppressive regime. As a sovereign act, it necessarily
includes the power to adjudge him as dishonorably discharged from the AFP.

Furthermore, according to petitioners, to limit the application of the disqualifying provisions of AFP
Regulations G 161-375 only to soldiers would be unfair (since, unlike Presidents, soldiers have an
additional cause for disqualification) and lead to absurd results (because soldiers who were dishonorably
discharged would be disqualified for acts that are less atrocious than that committed by Marcos). Also,
the AFP regulations would place Marcos in the same class as the other Philippine Presidents when in
fact he is a class of his own, sui generis. The other Presidents were never removed by People Power
Revolution and were never subject of laws declaring them to have committed human rights violations.
Thus, the intended burial would be an act of similarly treating persons who are differently situated.

Despite all these ostensibly persuasive arguments, the fact remains that Marcos was not convicted by
final judgment of any offense involving moral turpitude. No less than the 1987 Constitution mandates
that a person shall not be held to answer for a criminal offense without due process of law and that, "[i]n
all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall be presum innocent until the contrary is proved, and shall
enjoy the right to be heard by himself and counsel, to be informed of the nature and cause of the
accusation against him, to have a speedy, impartial, and public trial, to meet the witnesses face to face,
and to have compulsory process to secure the attendance of witnesses and the production of evidence
in his behalf."179 Even the U.N. principles on reparation and to combat impunity cited by petitioners
unequivocally guarantee the rights of the accused, providing that:ChanRoblesVirtualawlibrary
XIII. Rights of others

27. Nothing in this document is to be construed as derogating from internationally or nationally protected
rights of others, in particular the right of an accused person to benefit from applicable standards of due
process.

xxx

PRINCIPLE 9. GUARANTEES FOR PERSONS IMPLICATED

Before a commission identifies perpetrators in its report, the individuals concerned shall be entitled to
the following guarantees:

chanRoblesvirtualLawlibrary(a) The commission must try to corroborate information implicating

individuals before they are named publicly;

(b) The individuals implicated shall be afforded an opportunity to provide a statement setting forth their
version of the facts either at a hearing convened by the commission while conducting its investigation or
through submission of a document equivalent to a right of reply for inclusion in the commission's file.
To note, in the U.S., a person found to have committed a Federal or State capital crime (i.e., a crime
which a sentence of imprisonment for life or death penalty may be imposed) but who has not been
convicted by reason of not being available for trial due to death or flight to avoid prosecution, may be
ineligible for interment, inurnment, or memorialization in an Army national military cemetery.
Nevertheless, such ineligibility must still observe the procedures specified in § 553.21.180chanrobleslaw

The various cases cited by petitiOners, which were decided with finality by courts here and abroad, have
no bearing in this case since they are merely civil in nature; hence, cannot and do not establish moral
turpitude.

Also, the equal protection clause is not violated. Generally, there is no property right to safeguard
because even if one is eligible to be buried at the LNMB, such fact would only give him or her
the privilege to be interred therein. Unless there is a favorable recommendation from the Commander-in-
Chief, the Congress or the Secretary of National Defense, no right can be said to have ripen. Until then,
such inchoate right is not legally demandable and enforceable.

Assuming that there is a property right to protect, the requisites of equal protection clause are not
met.181 In this case, there is a real and substantial distinction between a military personnel and a former
President. The conditions of dishonorable discharge under the Articles of War182 attach only to the
members of the military. There is also no substantial distinction between Marcos and the three Philippine
Presidents buried at the LNMB (Presidents Quirino, Garcia, and Macapagal). All of them were not
convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude. In addition, the classification between a military personnel
and a former President is germane to the purposes of Proclamation No. 208 and P.D. No. 1076. While
the LNMB is a national shrine for militarymemorials, it is also an active military cemetery that
recognizes the status or position held by the persons interred therein.

Likewise, Marcos was honorably discharged from military service. PVAO expressly recognized him as a
retired veteran pursuant to R.A. No. 6948, as amended. Petitioners have not shown that he was
dishonorably discharged from military service under AFP Circular 17, Series of 1987 (Administrative
Discharge Prior to Expiration of Term of Enlistment) for violating Articles 94, 95 and 97 of the Articles of
War.183 The NHCP study184 is incomplete with respect to his entire military career as it failed to cite and
include the official records of the AFP.

With respect to the phrase "[p]ersonnel who were dishonorably separated/reverted/discharged from the
service," the same should be viewed in light of the definition provided by AFP Regulations G 161-375 to
the term "active service" which is "[s]ervice rendered by a military person as a Commissioned Officer,
enlisted man/woman, probationary officer, trainee or draftee in the Armed Forces of the
Philippines and service rendered by him/her as a civilian official or employee in the Philippine
Government prior to the date of his/her separation or retirement from the Armed Forces of the
Philippines, for which military and/or civilian service he/she shall have received pay from the Philippine
Government, and/or such others as may be hereafter be prescribed by law as active service (PD 1638,
as amended)."185 To my mind, the word "service" should be construed as that rendered by a military
person in the AFP, including civil service, from the time of his/her commission, enlistment, probation,
training or drafting, up to the date of his/her separation or retirement from the AFP. Civil service after
honorable separation and retirement from the AFP is outside the context of "service" under AFP
Regulations G 161-375.

Hence, it cannot be conveniently claimed that Marcos' ouster from the presidency during the EDSA
Revolution is tantamount to his dishonorable separation, reversion or discharge from the military service.
The fact that the President is the Commander-in-Chief of the AFP under the 1987 Constitution only
enshrines the principle of supremacy of civilian authority over the military. Not being a military person
who may be prosecuted before the court martial, the President can hardly be deemed "dishonorably
separated/reverted/discharged from the service" as contemplated by AFP Regulations G 161-375.
Dishonorable discharge through a successful revolution is an extra-constitutional and direct sovereign
act of the people which is beyond the ambit of judicial review, let alone a mere administrative regulation.

It is undeniable that former President Marcos was forced out of office by the people through the so-
called EDSA Revolution. Said political act of the people should not be automatically given a particular
legal meaning other than its obvious consequence- that of ousting him as president. To do otherwise
would lead the Court to the treacherous and perilous path of having to make choices from multifarious
inferences or theories arising from the various acts of the people. It is not the function of the Court, for
instance, to divine the exact implications or significance of the number of votes obtained in elections, or
the message from the number of participants in public assemblies. If the Court is not to fall into the
pitfalls of getting embroiled in political and oftentimes emotional, if not acrimonious, debates, it must
remain steadfast in abiding by its recognized guiding stars - clear constitutional and legal rules - not by
the uncertain, ambiguous and confusing messages from the actions of the people.

Conclusion

In sum, there is no clear constitutional or legal basis to hold that there was a grave abuse of discretion
amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction which would justify the Court to interpose its authority to
check and override an act entrusted to the judgment of another branch. Truly, the President's discretion
is not totally unfettered. "Discretion is not a freespirited stallion that runs and roams wherever it pleases
but is reined in to keep it from straying. In its classic formulation, 'discretion is not unconfined and
vagrant' but 'canalized within banks that keep it from overflowing.'"186 At bar, President Duterte, through
the public respondents, acted within the bounds of the law and jurisprudence. Notwithstanding the call of
human rights advocates, the Court must uphold what is legal and just. And that is not to deny Marcos of
his rightful place at the LNMB. For even the Framers of our Constitution intend that full respect for
human rights is available at any stage of a person's development, from the time he or she becomes a
person to the time he or she leaves this earth.187chanrobleslaw

There are certain things that are better left for history - not this Court - to adjudge. The Court could only
do so much in accordance with the clearly established rules and principles. Beyond that, it is ultimately
for the people themselves, as the sovereign, to decide, a task that may require the better perspective
that the passage of time provides. In the meantime, the country must move on and let this issue
rest.

WHEREFORE, PREMISES CONSIDERED, the petitions are DISMISSED. Necessarily, the Status Quo

Ante Order is hereby LIFTED.

Sereno, C.J., See dissenting opinion.

Carpio, J., See dissenting opinion.
Velasco, Jr.,** J., I concur in the ponencia as also in the opinion of Justice Mendoza.
Leonardo-De Castro, J., I concur in the ponencia and separate opinion of Justice Mendoza.
Brion, J., with separate concurring opinion.
Bersamin, J., See separate opinion.
Del Castillo, J., I join the separate opinion.
Perez, J., See separate opinion.
Mendoza, J., See separate opinion.
Reyes, J., Inhibited/no part.
Perlas-Bernabe, J., I join the separate opinion of J. Mendoza.
Leonen, J., I dissent. See separate opinion.
Jardeleza, J., I join dissent of J. Caguioa.
Caguioa, J., I dissent. See separate opinion.