At the End of the Day

EACH TIME February 24 comes each year, it must be a deluge of painful memories that will haunt the hearts and minds of the the Marcos heirs. The triumph of the People Power in 1986 meant the downfall of the Marcos family's clutch on political power. And I cannot blame Imelda and the Marcos children if they will feel bad each time the country celebrates the Day. It is simply natural to grieve the memories of so much loss. The news report today the post that Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. wrote for his Facebook account. The gist of it all is, after 26 years of freedom from his father's dictatorial rule, not much has changed. He asked: "Has poverty been alleviated? Is the wealth of the country more equitably distributed? Do we have more jobs available at home? Has there been a rise in the quality of our education? Are we self sufficient in our daily food requirements? Is there less hunger? Crime? Insurgency? Corruption? Basic services? Health?"

AT THE ENTRANCE of the Libingan ng mga Bayani (Cemetery of the Heroes), you will see written on a black stone a statement that says,  I do not know the dignity of his birth, but I do know the glory of his death , to honor the memory of those who were buried there . The quote came from Gen. Douglas McArthur who came in 1960 to pay his respects to fallen comrades in World War II. It excuses the circumstances of their birth, but it honors the glory of their death. When first established in May 1947 the Libingan  was known as the Philippine Memorial Cemetery. Most of those buried in the cemetery are the defenders of Bataan, Corregidor and other battlefields of World War II in the country. On 27 October 1954, President Ramon Magsaysay renamed it to Libingan ng mga Bayani in order to emphasize the great honors that those who will be buried there deserve to get. A  website of Corregidor Island described the intention of the Libingan : "a fitting tribute to gallant Filipino men and wome