Protests in UP, Ateneo after SC ruling on Marcos burial

NOW: Big crowd gathers at Oblation at UP Diliman for an indignation rally against the SC decision to bury Marcos at Libingan. pic.twitter.com/JwqwbMoJB7

— Jhesset O. Enano (@JhessetEnano) November 8, 2016

Individuals and groups against a looming hero’s burial for the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos did not wait for another day to protest against the Supreme Court decision allowing the latter’s interment at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Protests are currently being held in different parts of the country to express dissent against the high tribunal’s green light for a hero’s burial for Marcos.

An “indignation rally” and candle-lighting ceremony is being held at the University of the Philippines-Diliman campus, which started at 4 p.m. Student activists in UP Cebu also lit candles in their anti-Marcos rally.

LOOK: Student activists light candles during an anti-Marcos rally at UP Cebu | via @LitoTecson pic.twitter.com/ki1gNGxrKq

— CDN Digital (@cebudailynews) November 8, 2016

Members of the Ateneo de Manila community also peacefully assembled at Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City starting 5 p.m. in protest against the SC decision.

Petitioners against the burial will also lead a noise barrage at the Boy Scout monument, Timog Circle in Quezon City at 6:30 p.m.

At Ateneo gate 2.5 now. Prayers being said. Oldies outnumbered by Millennials. Awesome! pic.twitter.com/XLG97MiyM6

— Leah Navarro (@leahnavarro) November 8, 2016

Voting 9-5 with one abstention, the high court on Tuesday junked all petitions against President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to bury Marcos in the heroes’ cemetery.

Duterte, who has been very vocal about his alliance with the Marcos family, pushed for the Libingan burial as part of his campaign promise despite strong opposition from martial law victims and the general public. The Marcos regime was marred by human rights abuses, curtailed press freedom, corruption, forced disappearances, and unlawful arrest and killings of opposition forces.

The high tribunal ruled that there was no grave abuse of discretion on the part of President Duterte in exercising his mandate and that no law prohibits Marcos’ burial at Libingan. YG/rga