“I have [also] submitted our recommendation to President Aquino,” Binay told reporters at the sidelines of the launching of the book Reinventing Makati at the Senate President Aquilino Pimentel’s Center for Local Governance in the University of Makati.

But Binay declined to provide details on his findings and recommendations on how to resolve the Marcos burial issue, indicating he would not preempt the President’s final decision on the matter.

“It is up to the President to disclose our recommendation as well as his decision,” Binay said, adding he expects President Aquino to make an announcement this week.

Binay’s office earlier conducted a multisectoral survey to gauge the public sentiment on the sensitive issue of burying the late dictator at the cemetery for soldiers and war veterans at Fort Bonifacio.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Marcos’s defense minister and martial law administrator, noted this was the first time that the burial of a former soldier at the Libingan ng mga Bayani was “politicized” owing to the fact that Marcos went on to serve as President and was later ousted in a people-backed military revolt led by Enrile in 1986.

Malacañang meanwhile defended the expenses being incurred by the government for the renovation of the Coconut Palace for Binay, saying the second highest official of the land deserves a place of work that befits his position.

Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. made the statement in an interview with reporters after departure honors for President Aquino at the Villamor Air Base, when asked to comment on criticisms about the renovation of Binay’s future office at a time when the government is supposed to be practicing austerity measures.

Ochoa said Malacañang “sees no reason for concern” about the renovation expenses.

“I don’t know how big it is or how small it is, but the issue there is we have to give due importance also to the Office of the Vice President... It’s also symbolic and important and significant that his office can command respect due his office, is it not?” he said.

Ochoa said the current office of the Vice President, at the Philippine National Bank offices, falls short of according to Binay the kind of respect his position commands.

Binay had earlier said the renovations are intended to give “dignity” to the Office of the Vice President.

(Butch Fernandez and Mia Gonzalez)