Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez (left), the late president Ferdinand Marcos Sr. (Facebook, Wikipedia)

 

Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez defended the late Ferdinand Marcos Sr.'s performance as president amid Vice President Sara Duterte’s controversial threat to exhume his remains and dispose of them in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). 

"Alam niyo, kahit pagbali-baliktarin natin ang mundo, yung atin pong former president, si Ferdinand Marcos Sr., malaki po ang nagawa niya sa Pilipinas," Fernandez, a co-chairman of the House quad-committee, said during a press conference Monday, Oct. 21. 

(You know, even if we turn the world upside down, you can't take away that our former president, Ferdinand Marcos Sr., gave a big contribution to the Philippines.) 

"Kahit sabihin na natin na inakusahan siya na diktador at napatalsik siya ng ating mga kababayan. 

(Even if we say that he was accused of being a dictator and was deposed by our countrymen.) 

"[But] at the end of the day, we have to accept na he made a  lot of things for the Filipino people," the Laguna solon said. 

It was during Vice President Duterte's press conference that Friday, Oct.18 when she admitted to reporters that she once told Senator Imee Marcos that she would dig up the remains of the latter's father, Marcos Sr., and then dump it in the WPS.  

Marcos Sr., who served as president from Dec. 30, 1965 to Feb. 25, 1986, was the father of  both incumbent President Marcos Jr. and Senator Marcos. 

"Masakit po yung mga ganitong klaseng salita na hindi na po dapat sasabihin na nanggaling sa isang opisyal ng ating bansa," Fernandez said of Vice President Duterte's remarks. 

(These are hurtful words that shouldn't have come from an official of the country.) 

"We have to be careful with our statements no, kasi hahabulin at hahabulin tayo ng panahon at pagkakataon (there will come a day that our statements will catch up to us)," he said. 

Fernandez said this is now happening to the Vice President’s father, former president Rodrigo Duterte. 

"We hope that this would not happen to the Vice President. But definitely, somebody, somebody, might file a case against her. At nobody can prevent that dahil nga wala naman pong immunity ang ating Vice P.resident (because the Vice President doesn't have any immunity)," he said.