MANILA, Philippines – Several anti-Marcos groups will troop to the People Power Monument on EDSA on Wednesday, November 30, to once again hold President Rodrigo Duterte accountable for the surreptitious burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

The organizers are targetting to gather as much as 10,000 people at the monument, reminiscent of the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution, which toppled the dictator after his two-decade rule.

There will also be simultaneous rallies in other parts of the country and even abroad. (READ: Schedule: November 30 rallies vs Marcos) 

Prior to the main event, several demonstrations were held. As of posting, the Block Marcos group is camping out at the Heroes’ Cemetery until 6 am Wednesday. 

The PPM rally will be the second time for the Coalition Against Marcos Burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (CAMB-LNMB) – together with other groups such as Akbayan Youth, iDefend and Block Marcos – to occupy the shrine located along Metro Manila’s main throroughfare.

These groups have also led thousands of protesters at the shrine hours after the November 18 burial of the former dictator that was kept out of the public eye.  

The People Power Monument rally is being staged 5 days after some 8,000 protresters gathered at the Luneta Park to also denounce Marcos’ burial at the Heroes’ Cemetery, and to ask President Rodrigo Duterte to end his alliance with the Marcos family. (READ: IN PHOTOS: Signs of the times at Luneta rally) 

‘Burial opened old wounds’

“Instead of promoting healing and unity, the burial has opened old wounds and sparked anger. We ask him to put an end to the divisiveness, reiterating our calls,” CAMB-LNMB said in a statement.

The groups are calling on Duterte to:

• remove Marcos’ remains from the Heroes’ Cemetery 
• hold the Marcos family and their cohorts accountable for the atrocities done during Martial Law 
• stop the Marcoses from holding public office

The late Senator Jovito Salonga, together with other 18 Martial Law victims, will be named heroes by the Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foundation during the same time of the People Power Monument rally. 

Pro-Duterte supporters, meanwhile, will also stage a demonstration a few blocks away to defend the President’s decision allowing the burial. They will be gathering outside Camp Aguinaldo starting 3 pm. – Rappler.com