MANILA - Former Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. held a Christmas gathering for his online supporters.

In a post on his official Facebook Page, Marcos posted pictures of the gathering attended by his supporters called the "BBM Online Warriors" (BOW).

"Salamat sa aking masisipag na BBM Online Warriors (BOW) sa pagpapa-unlak sa aking imbitasyon na makasama kayong lahat," he said. "Ipagpatuloy ninyo ang inyong walang sawang suporta at pagmamahal #SalamatBOW."

The former Senator ran for vice president in the 2016 elections, only to lose to former lawmaker Leni Robredo by around 200,000 votes.

Marcos has filed an election protest after the elections, citing weaknesses in the automated election system, "traditional election abuses," and Smartmatic's alteration of a script in the transparency server.

Marcos has also defended the controversial burial of his father, deposed dictator Ferdinand Marcos, at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (Heroes' Cemetery).

"It is our sincerest hope that this will lead the nation towards healing as we endeavor to move the country forward to give every Filipino a better life," he said.

The burial of the late strongman at the Heroes Cemetery was pushed by President Rodrigo Duterte despite petitions filed by Martial Law victims before the Supreme Court.