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Ocampo vs. Enriquez (Marcos burial case)

SATURNINO C. OCAMPO, TRINIDAD H. REPUNO, BIENVENIDO LUMBERA, BONIFACIO P. ILAGAN, NERI JAVIER COLMENARES, MARIA CAROLINA P. ARAULLO, M.D., SAMAHAN NG EXDETAINEES LABAN SA DETENSYON AT ARESTO (SELDA), represented by DIONITO CABILLAS, CARMENCITA M. FLORENTINO, RODOLFO DEL ROSARIO, FELIX C. DALISAY, and DANILO M. DELA FUENTE,* Petitioners, vs. REAR ADMIRAL ERNESTO c. ENRIQUEZ (in his capacity as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Reservist and Retiree Affairs, Armed Forces of the Philippines), The Grave Services Unit (Philippine Army), and GENERAL RICARDO R. VISAYA (in his capacity as the Chief of Staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines), DEFENSE SECRETARY DELFIN LORENZANA, and HEIRS OF FERDINAND E. MARCOS, represented by his surviving spouse Imelda Romualdez Marcos, Respondents. x ---------------------------------------------------x RENE A.V. SAGUISAG, SR., RENE A.Q. SAGUISAG, JR., RENE A.C. SAGUISAG III, Intervenors. x ---------------------------------------------------x G.R. No. 225984 REP. EDCEL C. LAGMAN, in his personal and official capacities and as a member of Congress and as the Honorary Chairperson of the Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance (FIND); FAMILIES OF VICTIMS OF INVOLUNTARY DISAPPEARANCE (FIND), represented by its CoChairperson, NILDA L. SEVILLA; REP. TEDDY BRAWNER BAGUILAT, JR.; REP. TOMASITO S. VILLARIN; REP. EDGAR R. ERICE; and REP. EMMANUEL A. BILLONES, Petitioners, vs. EXECUTIVE SECRETARY SALVADOR C. MEDIALDEA; DEFENSE SECRETARY DELFIN N. LORENZANA; AFP CHIEF OF STAFF LT. GEN. RICARDO R. VISAYA; AFP DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF REAR ADMIRAL ERNESTO C. ENRIQUEZ; and HEIRS OF FERDINAND E. MARCOS, represented by his surviving spouse IMELDA ROMUALDEZ MARCOS, Respondents. x ---------------------------------------------------x G.R. No. 226097 LORETTA ANN PARGAS-ROSALES, HILDA B. NARCISO, AIDA F. SANTOSMARANAN, JO-ANN Q. MAGLIPON, ZENAIDA S. MIQUE, FE B. MANGAHAS, MA. CRISTINA P. BAWAGAN, MILA D. AGUILAR, MINERVA G. GONZALES, MA. CRISTINA V. RODRIGUEZ, LOUIE G. CRISMO, FRANCISCO E. RODRIGO, JR., LIWAYWAY D. ARCE, and ABDULMARI DE LEON IMAO, JR., Petitioners, vs. EXECUTIVE SECRETARY SALVADOR C. MEDIALDEA, DEFENSE SECRETARY DELFIN LORENZANA, AFP DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF REAR ADMIRAL ERNESTO C. ENRIQUEZ, AFP CHIEF OF STAFF LT. GEN. RICARDO R. VISAYA, and PHILIPPINE VETERANS AFFAIRS OFFICE (PVAO) Administrator Lt. Gen. Ernesto G. Carolina (Ret.), Respondents. x ---------------------------------------------------x G.R. No. 226116 HEHERSON T. ALVAREZ, JOEL C. LAMAN GAN, FRANCIS X. MANGLAPUS, EDILBERTO C. DE JESUS, BELINDA 0. CUNANAN, CECILIA GUIDOTE ALVAREZ, REX DEGRACIA LORES, SR., ARNOLD MARIE NOEL, CARLOS MANUEL, EDMUND S. TAYAO, DANILO P. OLIVARES, NOEL F. TRINIDAD, JESUS DELA FUENTE, REBECCA M. QUIJANO, FR. BENIGNO BELTRAN, SVD, ROBERTO S. VERZOLA, AUGUSTO A. LEGASTO, JR., and JULIA KRISTINA P. LEGASTO, Petitioners, vs. EXECUTIVE SECRETARY SALVADOR C. MEDIALDEA, DEFENSE SECRETARY DELFIN LORENZANA, AFP CHIEF OF STAFF LT. GEN. RICARDO R. VISAYA, AFP DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF REAR ADMIRAL ERNESTO C. ENRIQUEZ, and PHILIPPINE VETERANS AFFAIRS OFFICE (PVAO) of the DND, Respondents. x ---------------------------------------------------x G.R. No. 226117 ZAIRA PATRICIA B. BANIAGA, JOHN ARVIN BUENAAGUA, JOANNE ROSE SACE LIM, JUAN ANTONIO RAROGAL MAGALANG, Petitioners, vs. SECRETARY OF NATIONAL DEFENSE DELFIN N. LORENZANA, AFP CHIEF OF STAFF RICARDO R. VISAYA, ADMINISTRATOR OF THE PHILIPPINE VETERANS AFFAIRS OFFICE ERNESTO G. CAROLINA, Respondents. x ---------------------------------------------------x G.R. No. 226120 ALGAMAR A. LATIPH, Petitioner, vs. SECRETARY DELFIN N. LORENZANA, sued in his capacity as Secretary of National Defense, LT. GEN. RICARDO R. VISAYA, in his capacity as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and LT. GEN. ERNESTO G. CAROLINA (ret.), in his capacity as Administrator, Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO), Respondents. x ---------------------------------------------------x G.R. No. 226294 LEILA M. DE LIMA, in her capacity as SENATOR OF THE REPUBLIC and as TAXPAYER, Petitioner, vs. HON. SALVADOR C. MEDIALDEA, DEFENSE SECRETARY DELFIN LORENZANA, AFP CHIEF OF STAFF LT. GEN. RICARDO R. VISAYA, UNDERSECRETARY ERNESTO G. CAROLINA, in his capacity as PHILIPPINE VETERANS AFFAIRS OFFICE (PVAO) ADMINISTRATOR and B/GEN. RESTITUTO L. AGUILAR, in his capacity as SHRINE CURATOR AND CHIEF , VETERANS MEMORIAL AND HISTORICAL DIVISION and HEIRS OF FERDINAND EDRALIN MARCOS, Respondents. Present: SERENO, C.J, CARPIO, VELASCO, JR., ** LEONARDO-DE CASTRO, BRION, PERALTA, BERSAMIN, DEL CASTILLO, PEREZ, MENDOZA, REYES, PERLAS-BERNABE, LEONEN, JARDELEZA, and CAGUIOA, JJ

G.R. No. 225973 and G.R. No. 225984 and G.R. No. 226097 and G.R. No. 226116 and G.R. No. 226117 and G.R. No. 226120 and G.R. No. 226294 | 2016-11-08

Republic of the Philippines
Supreme Court
Manila
 
EN BANC
DECISION
 
PERALTA, J.:
 
In law, as much as in life, there is need to find closure. Issues that have lingered and festered for so long and which unnecessarily divide the people and slow the path to the future have to be interred. To move on is not to forget the past. It is to focus on the present and the future, leaving behind what is better left for history to ultimately decide. The Court finds guidance from the Constitution and the applicable laws, and in the absence of clear prohibition against the exercise of discretion entrusted to the political branches of the...