Imelda Marcos has rejected a proposal approved by President Corazon Aquino that the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos be buried in his northern hometown, her lawyer said Thursday.
Attorney Antonio Coronel, who said he had been authorized by Mrs. Marcos to discuss the issue with the Aquino government, stressed the former first lady had no choice but to fulfill the dying wish of her husband to be buried as a soldier in Manila.Aquino's chief aide said Mrs. Marcos' decision was "unfortunate" and asked her to reconsider for the good of the country.
"All that we are interested in is to settle this problem once and for all," said Executive Secretary Franklin Drilon.
Politicians from the former president's northern community told Aquino Wednesday they wanted the late ruler taken from a refrigerated crypt in Honolulu for burial in his hometown in Laoag, 250 miles north of Manila, after the traditional nine-day wake.
The 58-year-old Aquino said she was "in conformity" with the proposal but wanted to see evidence they were authorized by Mrs. Marcos to speak on her behalf. The Marcoses fled to Hawaii after a civilian-backed military revolt in February 1986.