MANILA - "Was it the mortal remains of the president? Was it another artifact?"

Those were the questions posed by Albay Representative Edcel Lagman Monday, inquiries that are part of their motion to have the body of former President Ferdinand Marcos exhumed for a forensic examination.

"Our motion for exhumation included a prayer that whatever is exhumed from the Libingan ng mga Bayani should immediately be subjected to a forensic examination so that we could ascertain with definiteness what was actually buried at the Libingan," he said in an interview with ANC's Headstart.

Marcos was interred at the Libingan ng mga Bayani on Friday, just days after the Supreme Court dismissed consolidated petitions seeking to halt the move initiated by President Rodrigo Duterte.

• READ: Late dictator Marcos buried at Libingan ng mga Bayani

Lagman reiterated that they will ask the Supreme Court (SC) "to exhume whatever was buried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani."

He believes the high court has reason to grant their petition because the clandestine burial is "premature and void" and the SC decision was not yet final and executory.

He also maintained, the burial "preempted" any motion for reconsideration the petitioners could have filed within the 15-day reglementary period after the receipt of the decision.

"If you exhume the body, you disinter Marcos, then the motions for reconsideration will not be barred by any moot and academic argument," he said.

He noted, SC had cases before where exhumation has been ordered.

On Monday, Lagman and other petitioners filed a motion for exhumation, on top of a contempt charge against the public respondents, the responsible members of the Marcos family, and all of those who conspired and facilitated the hasty burial.

They are also filing a motion for reconsideration against the Marcos burial by Monday, November 28.

He believes if the exhumed body is not Marcos', it will boost their petition for reconsideration.

"That would enhance the MRs because the Supreme Court, no less, in its decision said that what should be buried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani are the mortal remains of the late dictator," he said.

"But if it is found out at the exhumation and attest that they are not the mortal remains of the late President, then again, there was great deception made by the Marcos family, and the Supreme Court will have to think twice why favor should be given to this family who has not recanted from their predisposition of deception and abuse," he added.

• READ: Tourists line up in mausoleum, dismayed that only Marcos wax left