MANILA, Philippines (UPDATE 4, 10:18 p.m.) — The People Power Monument along EDSA on Friday night witnessed a growing number of protesters converging from different parts of Metro Manila after late dictator Ferdinand Marcos was buried at Libingan ng mga Bayani in a clandestine ceremony.
The Metro Manila Development Authority estimated a crowd of 3,000 as of 9:45 p.m. but protest leaders claimed that the number has grown to about 5,000 in the past couple of hours.
Demostrators at EDSA are composed of university students who earlier assembled in their campus premises before marching to the site. Also present were young professionals, human rights advocates decrying abuses during Martial Law, veterans of the 1986 revolution which expelled Marcos from power, members of progressive groups and officials of the Liberal Party.
The MMDA also said that about 2,000 students gathered in front of Miriam College on Katipunan Avenue before heading to the EDSA monument in Quezon City.
"Marcos diktador hindi bayani!" #OccupyLNMB #Katipunan pic.twitter.com/2UcPYIxA2S
— TSDominguez (@temporalthought) November 18, 2016
Young protesters gather at the EDSA People Power Monument in Quezon City enraged by the sudden decision to bury deceased strongman Ferdinand Marcos at the Heroes' Cemetery on Friday morning, Nov. 18, 2016. Terzeus S. Dominguez for Philstar.com
Students from Ateneo de Manila University, University of the Philippines Diliman and Miriam College arrived at the monument at 8:30 p.m.
Protesters who initially met at Ayala Triangle in Makati City also began heading to the monument in Quezon City on foot.
Peace advocate and scholar Edmundo Garcia who was a member of the team who drafted the 1986 Constitution at the wake of the people's revolt said the burial of the ousted leader at the national shrine sparks a "real outrage."
"He was no hero. Marcos was guilty of human rights violations and corruption. This is a very bad example to the young people in our country," Garcia told Philstar.com in Makati.
Edmundo Garcia, marched in the 1st Quarter Storm, part of Parliament of the Streets & a member of the '87 Consti draft team: #MarcosBurial pic.twitter.com/vYwYfRV8T2
— Denison Rey Dalupang (@sonrd) November 18, 2016
Pockets of protests were also spotted around the metro in what could be the start of continuous opposition over honors granted to a controversial figure now lying among heroes. — Camille Diola with reports from Jonathan de Santos and Denison Dalupang; Infographic by RP Ocampo