On November 26, Duterte supporters started gathering at the EDSA Shrine, carrying banners calling on Marcos Jnr to resign, chanting their support for the former president’s daughter and Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio as they listened to speakers denounce the government.
Located at a major intersection in the heart of Quezon City, the shrine commemorates the 1986 four-day People Power “revolution” on Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA), where huge peaceful crowds convinced the military to desert Marcos Snr.
The Duterte demonstrators arrived hours after Duterte, who faces International Criminal Court charges for crimes against humanity, called on the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to oppose the Marcos Jnr administration.
“How long will you support a drug addict president?” he asked. On social media, pro-Duterte bloggers encouraged the protesters and spread rumours that the military was losing its trust in Marcos Jnr.
