Riot police yesterday blocked hundreds of protesters trying to prevent the family of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos from celebrating the 100th anniversary of his birth at the Philippines' "Heroes Cemetery" south of Manila. President Rodrigo Duterte last year allowed Mr Marcos' remains to be buried at the cemetery, which is reserved for soldiers slain in battle and former presidents. Last week, Mr Duterte declared Mr Marcos' birthday on Sept 11 a holiday in the former leader's home province of Ilocos Norte. Mr Marcos ruled the Philippines for two decades and put the country under martial law in 1972, during which time tens of thousands of suspected communist rebels and political foes were killed.