Philippines' Duterte says dictator Marcos is a "hero"

Former Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos visits the tomb of her late husband at the Heroes Cemetery in Manila on August 28, 2017.-AFP

Batac (Philippines) (AFP) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte Sunday hailed late dictator Ferdinand Marcos as a "hero" to many Filipinos, brushing aside a history of corruption and rights abuses under the former strongman.

Duterte is stepping up efforts to rehabilitate the image of Marcos, who was ousted in an army-back popular revolt in 1986 and died in exile, as the Marcos family and their allies prepare to hold celebrations Monday marking a hundred years since his birth.