Marcos family will not plead on Aquino's decision

The late President Ferdinand Marcos's family said that they will not beseech President Benigno Aquino III to change his decision of not granting a state honor for their father, instead they will just try their luck with the next administration.

The daughter of the late former president, Imee Marcos was disappointed and surprised by Aquino's decision. However she said that they might just consider Vice President Jejomar Binay's recommendation of giving the late president full military honors in Ilocos.

Marcos loyalist and lawyer Oliver Lozano said, "I am confident President Aquino will change his mind. He was ill advised because the arguments presented have no legal and moral basis."

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda defended the president's decision by saying, "The recommendation of Vice President Binay was precisely a recommendation. And after the President made a statement in FOCAP (Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines), the Vice President issued a statement saying that the decision is a prerogative of the President. It should be respected and supported. So 'no' means 'no' that's the word of the President. He keeps his word and it's just one word: 'no'."

Lacierda said that there was never any miscommunication, there was never any misunderstanding extended to the Marcos family. The recommendation of Vice President Binay remained a recommendation until acted upon by the President. And so the President acted upon it decided that in the best interest of the Filipino people, it would not be proper for the President to accord state burial honors to the former president. — ARA