WORLD : Return of Marcos’ Body Rejected : Split Philippines Supreme Court Rejects Return of Marcos’ Body

The Supreme Court of the Philippines today narrowly rejected a petition to let the family of Ferdinand E. Marcos bring his body home for burial, ruling 8-7 that the ousted president is still a threat to national security.

President Corazon Aquino, who was swept to power in a 1986 popular revolt that ended Marcos’ 20-year rule, immediately welcomed the court’s decision and called for unity.

But 5,000 Marcos supporters marching from his hometown in the north of the country to Manila to pressure Aquino to reverse her ban issued a manifesto calling her heartless and attacking corruption and the government’s failure to stem the country’s Communist insurgency.

Marcos, who died in exile in Hawaii on Sept. 28, has been interred temporarily in Honolulu. But supporters had petitioned the court to allow his family to bury him in the Philippines.

Noting the court’s split decision, Aquino’s estranged Vice President Salvador Laurel said it was unfortunate that even the Supreme Court was divided on the issue of Marcos’ return.