Campaigners rail at Rodrigo Duterte's plan to honour Ferdinand Marcos

The Philippine Supreme Court has ordered the government to put on hold a divisive plan to bury former dictator Ferdinand Marcos in a heroes’ cemetery, a court spokesman said.

A plan supported by president Rodrigo Duterte to bury the former president in the cemetery has been criticised by human rights groups and many politicians, including vice-president Leni Robredo and senators allied with former president Benigno Aquino.

The 15-member high bench of the court, responding to a petition filed last week by opponents of the plan, told the government not to do anything on the issue for 20 days, said Supreme Court spokesman Theodore Te.