LOOK: Militant students walk out of classes, rally for PNoy ouster

Traffic was snarled around Mendiola Bridge near Malacañan Palace in Manila Friday afternoon as militant students marched there to hold a rally and call for President Benigno Aquino III's ouster.

Hundreds of students from major colleges in Metro Manila joined the protest action at Mendiola, radio dzBB's Cecilia Villarosa reported.

Photos tweeted by dzBB's Villarosa showed the students carrying streamers and placards calling for Aquino's resignation over his supposed mishandling of matters in recent developments, including a Jan. 25 clash in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

The Jan. 25 clash left 44 Special Action Force troopers and 18 Moro Islamic Liberation Front fighters, along with several civilians, dead.

Meanwhile, anti-riot police barricaded the Mendiola bridge to prevent the protesters from reaching the Palace area.

PHOTO: Gate 5 ng Malacañang sa Mendiola, binarikadahan ng mga pulis habang idinaraos ang rally. | via @CecilVillarosa pic.twitter.com/tD2aMa5bpc

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) February 27, 2015

As of 3:40 p.m., traffic was snarled at Recto, Legarda, Bustillos and Nepomuceno Streets, the report said.

Most of the students in the rally came from the University of the Philippines, Polytechnic University of the Philippines and University of Santo Tomas.

Grupo ng mga nagwalk out na estudyante mula UST at PUP, kasama sa mga nagpoprotesta sa Mendiola. | via @CecilVillarosa

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) February 27, 2015

Other participants included members of militant groups such as Migrante, Gabriela, and the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide. —Joel Locsin/KBK, GMA News