MANILA, Philippines – On Sunday, August 14, the hashtags #MarcosBurial, #MarcosIsNotAHero, and #MarcosFakeHero trended on Twitter as the Luneta protest on Ferdinand Marcos' planned burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani took place.
More than a thousand people gathered – from public figures to members of civil society organizations – to denounce the late strongman's upcoming burial at a cemetery reserved for national heroes.
The number of tweets approximated the on-ground strength of the rally – and represented the strength of the voice coming from the camp that's squarely against this year's most controversial relocation. (IN PHOTOS: 'Citizens' assembly' vs Marcos hero's burial)
In spite of that, there were a few pockets of resistance here and there. Scrolling through the hashtags #MarcosBurial, #MarcosIsNotAHero, and #MarcosFakeHero, one would notice the occasional tweet proclaiming support for the transfer of the late dictator's remains.
These are some of them, appearing in the lead-up to, during, or immediately after the "citizens' assembly":
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">He might be one of the worst but no one could be as good as him. Continue to hate him but where does it get you? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarcosFakeHero?src=hash">#MarcosFakeHero</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/justsayin?src=hash">#justsayin</a></p>— Dear CPA, (@cpadiaries) <a href="https://twitter.com/cpadiaries/status/764497787631185921">August 13, 2016</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="tl" dir="ltr">Wag ilibing si Marcos sa Libingan ng mga Bayani pero ikulong nyo mga Aquino para fair. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AyawSaDilaw?src=hash">#AyawSaDilaw</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarcosPaRin?src=hash">#MarcosPaRin</a></p>— Sherlock is CCC (@sugarnut221B) <a href="https://twitter.com/sugarnut221B/status/764447440183242752">August 13, 2016</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="tl" dir="ltr">MarcosIsNotAHero daw . Si Ninoy nga nkalibing s LnmB di namn nging Pres. nor a soldier. A Traitor perse ! Bat nkalibing don??<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarcosBurial?src=hash">#MarcosBurial</a></p>— ailene bunuan (@AileneBunuan) <a href="https://twitter.com/AileneBunuan/status/764703646655315968">August 14, 2016</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Millennial Loyalist Here <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarcosBurial?src=hash">#MarcosBurial</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarcosPaRin?src=hash">#MarcosPaRin</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Loyalist?src=hash">#Loyalist</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarcosIsAHERO?src=hash">#MarcosIsAHERO</a></p>— The Arcee Guimbal (@TheLegalPotatoe) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheLegalPotatoe/status/764112902655651840">August 12, 2016</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">FERDINAND MARCOS (Dictator) is better than AQUINO's (Traitor). <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarcosBurial?src=hash">#MarcosBurial</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarcosPaRin?src=hash">#MarcosPaRin</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bayani?src=hash">#Bayani</a> </p>— Maria Dianne Thrive (@m_thrive) <a href="https://twitter.com/m_thrive/status/763399056756400128">August 10, 2016</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/sandromarcos7">@sandromarcos7</a> Can't wait for the burial of Former Pres. Marcos! The Nation Builder. I'm hoping for a peace burial. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/marcosparin?src=hash">#marcosparin</a></p>— Lovely Rizza Soloria (@zarri19) <a href="https://twitter.com/zarri19/status/763193473562357761">August 10, 2016</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Let <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/mypresident?src=hash">#mypresident</a> rest! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bbm?src=hash">#bbm</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/libinganngmgabayani?src=hash">#libinganngmgabayani</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/marcosparin?src=hash">#marcosparin</a></p>— Joanna Sami Buquing (@joannasami) <a href="https://twitter.com/joannasami/status/763151223264387073">August 9, 2016</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="tl" dir="ltr">Balita ko konti lang pumunta dun sa Luneta para sa kampanyang <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarcosIsNotAHero?src=hash">#MarcosIsNotAHero</a><br><br>Kaya dinaan na lang sa trending... <a href="https://t.co/FvErq2zVrG">https://t.co/FvErq2zVrG</a></p>— Jomz Malaya (@joeromaramores) <a href="https://twitter.com/joeromaramores/status/764965529467572224">August 14, 2016</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
Looking through these tweets, the arguments appear to be hinged on Marcos supposedly being a better leader for the Philippines than the late Ninoy Aquino; that Marcos has done a lot for the nation with one post tagging him a "nation builder"; and general anti-Aquino notions.
Under the hashtags, there was no definitive pro-Marcos tweet that got considerable Twitter approval.
More pro-Marcos tweets can be found under "#MarcosPaRin," which had already been in use before the Luneta protest but slightly recorded more activity than usual during the rally.
#MarcosPaRin:
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="tl" dir="ltr">Sigurado ba kayo na Bayani lahat ng nakalibing sa Libingan ng mga Bayani? meron din mga traydor sa bayan na nakalibing diyan <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MARCOSPARIN?src=hash">#MARCOSPARIN</a></p>— Drei♕ (@TheDreiG) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheDreiG/status/765026689562705921">August 15, 2016</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="tl" dir="ltr">ang tunay na magnanakaw sa bansa <br>pinoy nasan ang pera ng yolanda?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/marcos?src=hash">#marcos</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/marcosparin?src=hash">#marcosparin</a> <a href="https://t.co/OdiMnQgdZX">pic.twitter.com/OdiMnQgdZX</a></p>— Martial Law (@PopoyLucas) <a href="https://twitter.com/PopoyLucas/status/765019260913487872">August 15, 2016</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bayani?src=hash">#bayani</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ninoyfakehero?src=hash">#ninoyfakehero</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/marcosparin?src=hash">#marcosparin</a> <a href="https://t.co/CBD6KepYxH">pic.twitter.com/CBD6KepYxH</a></p>— Martial Law (@PopoyLucas) <a href="https://twitter.com/PopoyLucas/status/765021248459972609">August 15, 2016</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
On Twitter at least, the pro-Marcos camp appears to be in the minority.– Rappler.com