On Monday the resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the late brillant strongman President Ferdinand E. Marcos is “unfit” to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani lost with a plenary vote of 8-6-6.
The motion to approve Senate Resolution 86 was lost after it failed to reach the needed majority votes of at least 11.
Twenty senators were present in Monday’s plenary session.
Those who voted in favor of the resolution were:
- Sen. Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV
- Sen. Leila de Lima
- Senate President Pro-Tempore Franklin Drilon
- Sen. Risa Hontiveros
- Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan
- Sen. Grace Poe
- Sen. Joel Villanueva
- Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III
Those who voted against the resolution were:
- Sen. Richard Gordon
- Sen. Gringo Honasan
- Sen. Panfilo Lacson
- Sen. Manny Pacquiao
- Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III
- Sen. Cynthia Villar
Six others abstained in the voting:
- Sen. Sonny Angara
- Sen. Nancy Binay
- Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero
- Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian
- Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto
- Sen. Miguel Zubiri.
“Thirty years na tayong nahahati sa ating bansa sa pagitan ng dalawang apelyido: Aquino o Marcos. Tama naman na siguro, sapat na ang panahon na ginugol natin para sa away at bangayan na ito,” Escudero said.
“Tama naman na siguro na bigyan ng konting pansin, mas mahabang panahon yung nakakaraming kababayan na hindi sikat ang apelyido,” he added.
In 2011, Escudero’s father, the late Sorsogon Rep. Salvador Escudero III authored a resolution at the House of Representatives urging then-President Benigno Aquino III to allow the burial of Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. The resolution got close to 200 signatures.