Protests as Marcos given hero's burial

Ex-Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos was buried in a secretive ceremony at the national heroes' cemetery yesterday, triggering street protests as opponents denounced what they said was the whitewashing of his brutal and corrupt rule.

The burial at the "Cemetery of Heroes" was another stunning development in the remarkable political comeback of the Marcos family, a phenomenon given fresh energy by the clan's strong alliance with new President Rodrigo Duterte.

The Supreme Court last week endorsed a decision by Duterte to lay the dictator to rest at the heroes' cemetery, three decades after millions of people took to the streets in the famous "People Power" revolution that ended Marcos's reign.

The military honoured Marcos at the ceremony with a 21-gun salute as soldiers in parade dress and ceremonial rifles stood to attention.

Marcos ruled the Philippines for 20 years, during which time he, his family and cronies amassed an estimated $10 billion in ill-gotten wealth, a commission found. Tens of thousands of suspected communist rebels and political foes were killed.

He was chased from office in a people's power revolt in 1986 and died in exile in Hawaii three years later. The Marcos family returned to the Philippines in the 1990s and became powerful politicians representing his home province of Ilocos Norte.

Anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International in 2004 named Marcos the second most corrupt leader of all time, behind Indonesian dictator Suharto.

Marcos died in Hawaii in 1989.