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Southeast Asia
'27 medals' highlight Marcos' 87th birthday today
2004-09-11
By Cristina Arzadon - Inquirer News Service
Updated 06:12am (Mla time) Sept 11, 2004
LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte, Philippines -- The Marcos family observes former strongman Ferdinand E. Marcos' 87th birthday today by highlighting his military career and war exploits."Regardless of the constant and well deserved criticisms... he was a (soldier) who stood up for plundering his country and in the process, got 27 medals. That's revisionist history. It cannot be changed, amended or verified erased in any manner," family spokesperson Lito Gorospe said. Marcos critics have long maintained that the medals were for non-existent war exploits. An exhibit of some 100 photographs of the late dictator, including his 27 medals, will be unveiled today at the Ilocos Norte Capitol lobby. "The most decorated war hero of the US was war hero-turned-1960s Hollywood actor Audie Murphy. He received 27 medals, including the congressional medal of honor. Our Marcos got 27.
I'm sure Murphy's ghost is whomping @ss on Marcos' shade right about now.
He served himself by raping his country and served poverty to it well. Let's not dwell on the fact that he was a record-level thieving president. (He was also) an exemplary soldier of fortune who rapaciously looted the country," Gorospe said. Marcos' shoe-hoarding widow Imelda Marcos has allowed the viewing of pictures of the late president as a soldier and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Isn't it about time they jailed that greedy sow?
Gorospe noted that Marcos gave himself received the medal of valor-the highest medal the government can give to a soldier and equivalent to the United States' congressional medal of honor.

What continues to be a frozen issue is when Marcos would finally be buried.
Some "chilling" humor from the article's author.
The late strongman's remains are kept inside a refrigerated crypt in his hometown of Batac. This year, only Mrs. Marcos will play host to the annual traditional program at the capitol grounds since the Marcos children are abroad. Ilocos Norte Gov. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Rep. Imee Marcos reportedly accompanied their children for school enrollment in the US and UK, respectively, while Irene Marcos-Araneta had a speaking engagement abroad.
Sounds like the kiddles are trying to put some distance between themselves and dear dead old dad. Marcos looted his country and retarded the entire nation's progress by decades. Beyond that, he entrenched graft riddled, corrupt military and law enforcement bodies that haunt the Philippines to this day.

Although a plague in all other respects, at least the communist New People's Army did everyone a favor by blasting the face off of Marcos' 30 meter high bust in his home province of Ilocos Norte. The ruins of this self aggrandizing monument are now a big tourist draw. That Marcos or his wife still remain popular in any respect is a searing indictment of how the Philippines' fixation on glamor and wealth continues to cripple it even now.
Posted by:Zenster

#1  As an aside, there were some truly ferocious anti-Japanese occupation Phillipine fighters back then. I knew one, who had been a 16-year-old boy with a machete, who would hide up in a tree and take out an entire Japanese patrol, single handedly. He was later "adopted" by a US unit, made it to the US and enlisted. When I knew him, he was a very old CSM, held in high esteem by all.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2004-09-11 4:36:50 PM  

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