I posted what, in my mind, was a tongue-in-cheek statement about the burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr the other day that created a little buzz for a small clique of anti-Marcos advocates on Twitter. One thing I realised is that a lot of so-called “educated” members of Philippine society do not get dry humour and cannot think outside the box. Here was my tweet:
Sigh…some people are wasting too much time. To remove the controversy, Libingan ng mga Bayani should be renamed "Libingan ng mga namatay".
— ilda (@ilda_talk) August 31, 2016
For those who cannot understand Fillipino, the word “namatay” means died. Loosely translated, “libingan ng mga namatay” in English means “cemetery for those who died”.
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Apparently, some of these anti-Marcos advocates thought my tweet was too stupid. Some referred to me as having “low I.Q.” A few asked “Why, is there a cemetery for people who are still alive?”
Well, good grief. If I have to explain something so simple, there’s a good chance they won’t understand the explanation.
Perhaps I should have put a smiley or some kind of emoticon to show that I was joking. But those familiar with Twitter would know that the 140-character limit sometimes prevents users from expressing everything they want to express in one post. Besides, those who are used to my dry sense of humour would have easily gotten the joke. I don’t make a habit of using emoticons to tell the reader that what they are reading is a joke. It’s a good thing most Get Real Post subscribers seem to get me. Unfortunately, there are a lot of Filipinos who prefer jokes to be delivered a-la Tito-Vic-and-Joey style; i.e. in slapstick form. Jokes that are too subtle or nuanced for the Filipino mind tend to be taken literally. Now I understand why a lot of afternoon variety shows have to use canned laughter to accompany every joke.
Almost 30 years after his death, some Filipinos still feel threatened by Marcos. It’s like they fear he might return once his body is buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB). Maybe they are being superstitious. Or maybe it’s just their ego getting in the way of rational thinking. Whatever it is, it is consuming them in an unhealthy way.
Anti-Marcos ‘activists’: too quick to cry foul but too slow to prevent a Marcos return.
(Source: IBT)
To explain my 140-character Twitter post further, the controversy over Marcos burial at LNMB is creating unnecessary and useless anxiety for some people. I find their reaction too overly-emotional and sensitive, which was why I was trying to lighten up the issue a bit. Sadly, anti-Marcos advocates seem to be losing sleep over an artificial construct — something people came up with. The name of the cemetery has created an issue and has divided Filipinos for decades to the detriment of Philippine society.
My Twitter post light-heartedly suggested that to remove the problem or controversy over Marcos burial at LNMB, the Philippine government should consider changing the name to something more generic. Since anti-Marcos advocates will find an issue out of any term added to it, naming it Libingan ng mga Namatay could finally make them happy. After all, not everyone buried in that cemetery was a hero. A lot of the dead soldiers who participated in the atrocities during Martial Law could be buried there too. Heck, even a dog that was used by the military during former President Cory Aquino’s term is buried there.
Filipinos need to address the root of the problem. They are too emotional for their own good. They need to accept that there is no law that says Marcos cannot be buried at the LNMB. The argument that Marcos was a crook and human rights violator won’t work because the man himself wasn’t convicted in a Philippine court of any of the allegations they are throwing at him.
The Marcoses made no secret of their decades-long plan to bury their patriarch at the LNMB.
I find the anti-Marcos advocates too slow to act and too quick to cry foul. They could have simply spent some time within the last 30 years lobbying the Armed Forces of the Philippines to change its guidelines on who can be buried at the LNMB. They could have argued that the clause “Marcos is not allowed” be added in the guideline. It’s something so simple they didn’t even think about it. They had 30 years to come up with something to avoid this situation. One can be forgiven for thinking they had been dumb enough to allow things to get to this point where the Supreme Court has to intervene. The worst part is, the issue will not end even with a decision from the justices. Whatever they decide –whether to allow or to deny a Marcos burial at LNMB, expect both camps to continue fighting over it.
Indeed, the Philippines is a country divided over trivial issues that could have been solved had foresight and rational thinking been applied early on. There’s a joke to be made there somewhere.
In life, things are not always what they seem.
Those anti Marcos, Sr. idiots cannot understand the term : Hero. Every Filipino soldier who served his country in war or any conflict, is a hero. The “Martial Law” atrocities of Marcos, Sr. , are all made up by Aquino and his YellowTards. The Aquinos do not want themselves, to be overshadowed by anybody, as heroes and saints. So, they are against the burial of Marcos, Sr. in the Libingan ng mga Bayani. In truth, the Aquinos are Japanese collaborators , traitors and political opportunists…
The Aquinos even put their faces in our currencies. Named themselves on airports, buildings, etc…Used the YellowTard media, to advertise themselves, as heroes..they are the foremost NARCISSISTs!
Marcos, Sr. served in World War II as a Filipino soldier, and a Hero (Period) ! Whether, he is a crook or not…it will be History to judge him ! Not us, in this present generation !
DOJ secretary Aquire should not entertain de lima’s counter punches. she’s just blocking the HR105 probe on proliferations of drugs inside bilibid prison. they should proceed with the probe for probable cause against de lima asap and jail her right away.
….it’s about time president duterte needs the power of the people or be back to yellow dynasty. can’t you not see what’s happening? it’s a yellow machinery working against duterte’s change for a better generations of pilipinos. let all be dirty harry for the motherland the Philippines.
… humans will soon all die. so stop talking nonsense here the Philippines is in danger. you should crush the yellow dynasty totally for a better Philippines. president duterte’s fight is easily understood so why don’t all.
De Lima is a whore. She is an immoral woman. She has a driver lover, who is married That alone, will debar her as a lawyer and remove her as a Senator. She is vulnerable to the immorality charges…
The Yellow dynasty must be thrown to the ash heap and dust bin of history. “Ibasura ang mga Aquinos”…”mga salot !”
What did they bring ? Feudal Oligarchy; Chinese Triad Mafia Crime Syndicate; Shabu Drug proliferation; PDAF; DAP; etc…all kinds of evils to us !
“What did they bring ? Feudal Oligarchy; Chinese Triad Mafia Crime Syndicate; Shabu Drug proliferation; PDAF; DAP; etc…all kinds of evils to us !”
The problem is our brainwashed people are just too goddamn proud to admit to themselves that they’ve brought these “salot” upon themselves, so they can fulfill their arrogant and selfish desires without thinking of the long term consequences.
Filipinos are just too “fucked up” for their own good.
President just declared state of lawlessness and a lot of sickos cheering on and blaming the president for causing insurgencies. Now im understanding more why there really had to be ML in Marcos time.
[Revised]
The continuous threat of Muslim insurgencies in Mindanao, the growing Chinese influence in the country, and the inherent arrogance and selfish traits of the Filipinos that will destroy the country are the “main” reasons why Marcos declared Martial Law.
In an interview with American journalist Ted Koppel of ABC Nightline, Marcos predicted that in less than twenty years after he’s gone, those threats will become all too real. He we fucking right. We can hear Marcos’ voice from beyond the grave telling us, “I told you so, motherfuckers.”
Sarcasm or ‘subtlety’ is not always conveyed by the printed word….GET IT?
Fuck “Sarcasm” and “Subtlety,” Tell It Like It Is. Just tell the fucking “Truth.” Who gives a shit how it comes across?
When these motherfucking Filipinos run out of options of what to do with their country, that’s when sarcasm and subtlety fly out the window and the truth stays. Then it’ll be too late.
@ Aeta, try telling Ilda that. Ilda is the one who tried to be subtle etc,etc and Filipino’s did not get it…. that is kinda what part of the article is about.
Filipino’s have been out of options since before you were born and still do not realize what they have to do. IT is NOT MY FAULT, I’ve been sayin what needs to be done for years…..it would be sooo frikkin easy too.BUT NO, spine’s are not common in the Fails,I guess.
[Revised]
Tell It Like It Is,
If I’m not mistaken, you and I share similar background of spending considerable time overseas and in the Philippines; and, we can see what’s happening in this country as outsiders looking in, and insiders looking around to see all the bullshits.
So we can somewhat both agree that most of the writers and readers on GRP are deep in their knees on the going ons in this country, without experiencing much of the outside world. They only see parts of the big picture from the articles they read on the internet or watch on t.v.
I hope you understand what I mean.
Aeta
@ Aeta, one thing I KNOW for sure is that the overwhelming majority of Filipino’s I have met personally and have NEVER been outside of the Filippines have virtually NO IDEA of what is happening outside of the country and have a very limited understanding of what is ACTUALLY,in reality, of what is going on in their own country. That being, that the people who run the country internally answer to NO ONE, they are a criminal cartel that NEVER go to jail but take turns being ‘SHAMED’ in the press but are never convicted of anything (GMA,Estrada, Corona,Aquino’s ,all of them.. etc etc etc). The people who run the foreign policy of the country are accountable to Uncle Sam,PERIOD. The internal bull-shit media is just a lying propaganda machine that ‘uncovers’ scam after ‘scam’ that never has anything happen to the guilty parties,NEVER (useless ‘Blue-ribbon Senate panels,LOL!, the Ombudsman, is purposely useless) ! That is because it is usually a ‘Red Herring’. Case in point: The Corona trial, the man lost nothing but a worthless $1500/month shit job.He kept everything he stole.The whole trial was a scam to hide what was really happening:The theft of government funds through the DAP ‘scam’. AND YET, writer’s here at GRP protested that Corona was being ‘targetted’ without ever realizing that he was in on the scam from the beginning and that if there was justice in the country the PAL employee’s part of the impeachment proceedings would have landed Corona in a real prison, BUT IT WAS REMOVED from the complaint. DO U GET IT NOW?
@ Aeta, I saw where you said ‘I ACT as if I know these people and have walked in their shoes’, well, I do know someone who has.AND I would, and maybe I already have(but do not repeat myself), direct you to where I get this info from. YOU could definitely learn a thing or two from it/him, a real eye opener. BUT, your reaction to me, as I have stated and will not repeat,prevents this direction to said info.It is there for all to see, and YOU may have already seen it, if memory serves me today. BUT, Stay blind, IDC.NO.
The people who get the joke even without a prompter telling them it’s a joke are a cut above the rest.
Dry humour separates the men from the boys, ika nga.
No, your wrong,Ilda. If someone reads something, they can not tell what the emotion underlying it is, unless they know the writer extremely well. You would serve yourself well to not have such a high opinion of yourself and such a low opinion of others who do not know you and therefore do not get your humour.
Most of my followers on Twitter are strangers. They don’t know me but they didn’t have a problem getting my “joke”.
I did not see it, As I’m not a ‘TWITT’-er.
Failipinos in the Failippines talk about the nation and world’s problems like they’re reading lines off a teleprompter. They recite what they’re told and echo it without thinking. It has become easier to divide Failipinos than to unify them, and to blind them than to give them vision. Failipinos are no longer unified like a bowl of Cheerios. Instead, they have become as segregated as a box of Lucky Charms. Every day Failipinos see the same leprechauns on TV acting like they’re the experts of everything.
That’s because Filipinos are impulsive little motherfuckers addicted to feeding their egos—no matter what the cost.
Aquino/Cojuangco Clan is worst than Marcos. Manipulado lang nila ang Oligarch owned Media kaya napabango ang pangalan nila at marami ring Filpnos ang mapupurol ang Kukote namadaling mapaniwala sa mga Kasinungalingan.
Kung magpapatuloy pang mag multiply ang bilang ng mga bayaran at mangmang malamang si Josh ay maginPresidente rin.
They are ALL THIEVES, DON’T YOU GET IT? The people who run the country are laughing at you because they are all on the same side and take turns acting as if they are not.”Your an Aquino and I am a Marcos”, and so lets not spend any of OUR money to save the hurricane victims, SEE? OMG, it can’t get any plainer to see.
i’ve been listening to the live oral arguments on the burial of Marcos at the LNMB, and it seems clear to me that sereno, carpio and leonev will decide against;(
Ferdinand Marcos could claim to be the most decorated, most bemedalled, and the greatest World War II Hero with 32 medals which are not all fake! Screw USA and CIA!