MANILA — The Supreme Court has extended for the second time the status quo ante order (SQAO) temporarily stopping the plan to give the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos a hero’s burial.
The high court has extended the SQAO until Nov. 8.
The petitioners were expecting the SC to issue its decision over the petitions against the internment of Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB) today, as the SQAO would have lapsed.
Lawyers of martial law victims remain hopeful that the high court will “side on the side of justice, history and reason” come November 8.
Ephraim Cortez, newly elected secretary general of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) said in a statement, “History has already laid down the verdict when the Filipino people -as one – decided to break free from the bondage of the Marcos dictatorship in 1986.”
Meanwhile, the Campaign Against the Return of Marcoses in Malacanang (Carmma), reminded the SC justices of the historic Hawaii ruling declaring Marcos guilty of crimes against humanity.
“The families are still crying out for justice and the Marcos family had no remorse and does not even seek apology to the wrongs done to these families,” the group said in a statement.
The first SQA was issued last Aug. 23 until Sept. 12. After the oral arguments on the consolidated petitions against the internment of Marcos at the LNMB, the high court extended the SQA to Oct. 18.
