Mammoth INC rally calls for peace, unity

MANILA, Philippines — More than a million members of religious sect Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) gathered in a rally at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila yesterday to call for peace and unity amid steps to unseat Vice President Sara Duterte through impeachment.

Exceeding authorities’ earlier projections of 500,000 to one million people, crowds wearing white shirts and carrying banners calling for unity flocked to the venue for the “national rally for peace.”

The sect opposes moves to impeach Duterte, a former ally of President Marcos, in the House of Representatives.

“There are many more things which our citizens need that must be attended to. These will not be achieved if all we see taking place is conflict,” INC spokesman Edwil Zabala said ahead of the rally.

Schools and government offices in Manila, Pasay and Quezon City were suspended and major roads surrounding the vicinity were closed for the event, as police estimated that 1.6 million people had gathered at the venue.

More than 5,000 police officers were deployed, National Capital Region Police Office officer-in-charge Maj. Myrna Diploma told Agence France-Presse.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority deployed 1,300 personnel to perform duties such as traffic management and garbage collection during the rally.

Edwin Nasol, vice president for disaster preparedness and emergency response of Society of Communicators and Networkers (SCAN) International, said 17,000 emergency first responders from INC were deployed to ensure safety.

They were supported by 120 personnel from the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, who worked alongside two light urban search and rescue teams from the Philippine Army’s 525th Engineer Combat Battalion.

Duterte is facing three impeachment cases, which accuse her of misusing millions in public funds and of plotting to have Marcos assassinated. She has denied the allegations.

Similar events were scheduled at a dozen locations across the country, according to Zabala.

An estimated 150,000 individuals from Pangasinan, La Union, Benguet, Abra, Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur joined yesterday’s rally at the Quirino Stadium in Bantay, Ilocos Sur, according to local authorities.

About 16,000 INC members from all over Northern Mindanao converged for a prayer rally in Cagayan de Oro City, according to police city director Col. Salvador Radam.

The INC members did not disclose the purpose of the rally, but hinted that they would press for the return of the “unconditional cash transfer” that they previously enjoyed.

In Davao City, an estimated 400,000 people from Davao and Soccsksargen regions participated in yesterday’s peace rally, according to the Davao City Police Office.

The INC rally in Davao City was also supported by the Kingdom of Jesus Christ group of its detained founder Apollo Quiboloy, as well as other non-INC groups.

INC, estimated to have more than two million members, carries significant weight in the country because its members tend to vote as a block and it is often courted by politicians.

The sect could decide the outcome of closely contested congressional and local government posts in the midterm elections on May 12.

INC endorsed the Marcos-Duterte tandem in the 2022 general elections, according to earlier reports.

Rally peaceful

Yesterday’s INC rally was relatively peaceful, according to the Philippine National Police.

Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo, former PNP spokesperson and now Central Luzon police regional director, said they have not monitored any untoward incident that disrupted the conduct of the rally.

“Peaceful and no untoward incident,” Fajardo told reporters in a message on Viber.

She said the rally started at around 8:30 a.m. and ended at 5:25 p.m.

Citing data from the Manila city government, Fajardo said 1,162 INC members with ailments were attended to by health stations and field hospitals.

Divine providence to reunite Marcos, Sara

INC leaders implored divine providence to unite and bring peace to the country as over a million followers declared their support for unity between the feuding Marcoses and the Dutertes.

For INC minister for evangelization Bro. Rommell Topacio, the peace rally was a “concrete show of support for the statement of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. rejecting efforts to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte.”

Topacio showed a video of an interview with Marcos in Lucena City, Quezon province on Nov. 29 last year, where the President emphasized that impeachment is not important, as it does not make any difference to even one single Filipino life.

“So why waste time on this? What will happen if somebody falls in impeachment? It will tie down the House, it will tie down the Senate, it will just take up our time and for what? For nothing, for nothing. None of this will help improve a single Filipino life. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a storm in a teacup,” Marcos said in his video interview.

“This position not only shows concern, but also a clear understanding of the true needs of the country,” Topacio said in his speech.

Zabala said INC would like to make government officials hear the plight of the common man, particularly the worsening poverty caused by corruption, calamities, crime and even rivalries in politics.

“So what we support is reconciliation, not conflicts, accusations and self-interest,” he added.

While they did not speak at the event, also present were the Dutertes’ allies: Senators Robinhood Padilla, Ronald dela Rosa and Bong Go, and Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino, as well as local government officials.

Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna and Vice Mayor Yul Servo as well as their rivals Isko Moreno and Chi Atienza also attended the event.

Domagoso also appealed for government officials to resolve the issues burdening the lives of ordinary people, instead of engaging in mudslinging.

Duterte cited INC for spearheading the nationwide peace rally, as the country faces crisis at this point in its history.

“I sincerely congratulate our beloved countrymen and I sincerely thank those who participated in the peace rally, which was a powerful demonstration of unity whose only desire is peace,” the Vice President said in a statement yesterday.

She also thanked INC for the peace rally in the midst of the increasing prices of commodities and other problems that the nation faces.

She however did not attend the peace rally in any of the venues yesterday.

‘Part of national conversation’

Reacting to INC’s peace rally, Malacañang said examining and listening to all sides would clarify issues.

“To peaceably assemble is a bedrock right guaranteed by our Constitution, cherished by our people and consistently upheld by this administration. All government agencies are, therefore, ordered that this right to be exercised today by our Iglesia ni Cristo brethren should not be impaired,” Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said in a statement.

“We view today’s assemblies as part of the national conversation we should be having as a people to bring clarity and consensus on issues that face us all and affect our future. Most of all, we expect that the opinions to be expressed will help clarify issues that our country faces and bring about the real unity we are aspiring for,” Bersamin added.

Chiz: Who wouldn’t want peace, unity?

Senate President Francis Escudero supported INC’s rally as majority of Filipinos are demanding nothing less of the country’s leaders.

“A prayer rally for peace and unity in the country, I believe, is non-debatable. Who wouldn’t want that? I surely want that and a huge majority of our people as well, whether they are physically present at the prayer rally today or not, are demanding for nothing less among our leaders at the very least,” Escudero said.

“I do not find it productive nor helpful to throw nor address questions or issues which seek to diminish a much needed call for peace and unity in our country at this time,” he added.

Escudero said he would not attend the INC peace rally, “but they asked me for a short video message.”

The Senate President earlier instructed that work at the Senate, which is based in Pasay City, shall be suspended.

Go also supported INC’s call for peace and unity in the country amid efforts to impeach Duterte.

“The peace rally of Iglesia ni Cristo is not only for its members, but also for all Filipinos who want peace. I am with you in this desire as your senator who only wants to continue caring and serving fellow Filipinos,” Go said.

“Let’s remember that we will only pass through this world once. Whatever goodness or help we can do to our neighbor, let’s do it now because we will not return to this world. May God bless us all! Long live the Philippines!” he added. — Jun Elias, Gerry Lee Gorit, Edith Regalado, Alexis Romero, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Emmanuel Tupas