A pre-nup pictorial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani? Odd but true. A couple has chosen the Libingan ng mga Bayani as the site of their pre-wedding pictures which immediately drew fire and condemnation from the Philippine online community. What was supposed to be a romantic prenuptial photoshoot at the Libingan ng mga Bayani has sparked outrage on the Internet, with netizens decrying the irreverent poses of the couple involved – over grave markers for unknown soldiers killed in World War II – as “disrespectful” and in “bad taste.”
Local wedding photographers East Digital Studio posted pictures of Filipino couple known only as “Ruskin and Priscilla Magat” to announce the oncoming wedding of the two, but the people involved apparently did not expect that the photo shoot would unleash a storm of reactions from various quarters.
The prenup photoshoot for “Ruskin and Priscilla” at the Libingan ng mga Bayani was posted on the Internet and gained criticism from photography enthusiasts and the online community even the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
In its pre-nup photo for Ruskin and Priscilla, East Digital featured the couple in the back drop of white crosses at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a gravesite inside the compound of the Libingan ng mga Bayani. In one photo, a man strikes a “wacky” pose as he hugs a cross serving as a grave marker. In another, his bride-to-be is seated on the beam of another cross, liquor bottles set before her, as she holds up a wine glass in toast. In one of the photographs, the duo cross-dressed with Priscilla wearing the traditional men’s formal Barong Tagalog and the groom garbed in a wedding gown.
“Tasteless, disrespectful…Not funny,” read some of the reactions posted on the Internet in reference to the June 30 photo shoot.
Some relatives of the soldiers buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani expressed how offended they were by the act. The couple said that no offense was meant by the photos, and that they have chosen the venue to invoke the concept of “’til death do us part.” East Digital Studio, the photography studio behind this controversial photo shoot, expressed their remorse over the issue.
On Facebook, a page was created with the title: “100,000 likes to condemn desecration of graves of Filipino soldiers”.
The photos were brought to the attention of the military officials who had no idea on how the studio was able to conduct the photo shoot in the area without anybody calling their attention.
Commodore Miguel Jose Rodriguez, armed forces spokesman, said the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the entire Libingan ng mga Bayani is a public place and taking photos is allowed. However, he pointed out the couple and the photographer should have exercised propriety during the shoot.
In reports, Rodriguez said that the organisers of the photo shoot should have considered the sensibilities of other people as the picture was posted in a medium that can be seen by everyone.
He said that gravesites should not be regarded with jest as they are intended to honour whoever lies in it. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier served as a memorial for American soldiers who died during World War II and like most burial sites is considered a hallowed ground.
The Libingan ng mga Bayani is a national cemetery within Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City. It was established as a memorial for Filipino soldiers, including generals, heroes and martyrs. Among those interred there are former Philippine presidents Carlos Garcia and Diosdado Macapagal.