Former Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos was buried today at the National Heroes' Cemetery despite the protests from victims of Human Rights abuses that came to underline his 21 years of power.

The announcement of the burial was done without any advanced notice, shocking many anti-Marcos activists who hoped to keep former President out of the Cemetery, which is generally reserved for soldiers and some popular national leaders.


According to CNN reports, the burial marks the end of a three-decade-long campaign by his family to have his remains buried in the cemetery, the national monument known as "Libingan ng Mga Bayani" in Tagalog. 

The Supreme Court earlier this month had over-ruled objections to the proposal by President Rodrigo Duterte, a close ally of Marcos' family, to bury the former strongman at the site, saying Mr. Marcos' military service qualified him for the honor. 

Imee Marcos, Marcos' elder daughter and Governor in his home province Ilocos Norte, said the interment fulfilled her father's last wish "to be buried in the company of his fellow soldiers." 

In a short statement, she apologized to supporters for making the burial private, saying the family wanted to avoid hurting the feelings of his critics.

The Liberal Party of former President Benigno Aquino III- whose own father, a staunch Marcos critic, was assassinated upon his return to the Philippines in 1983- condemned the move.

Many Filipinos object to his interment in the heroes' cemetery, given how brutal his rule was. Thousands were imprisoned and tortured under Marcos' reign. He ruled with an iron fist for two-and-a-half decades until his ouster in the 1986 "People Power" revolution. 

Lt. Col Ray Tiongson, interim spokesperson of the Philippine Army, told that the army had provided assistance for the honorary interment. He added that the Army provided a "battalion-size military honor (guard)" -- around 100 soldiers. Members of the media were not allowed to witness the ceremony, CNN Philippines reported