The INC rally was not for peace

In the first week of December last year, the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) widely publicized that it was instigating a mass action called the National Rally for Peace. The INC then reported that it was set to activate in thirteen areas where its members were to converge although they would culminate their massive demonstration of strength and power at the Quirino grandstand in Manila with a supposed participation of more than a million of its followers.

The purpose of the announced rally was to oppose the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio. To me, such purpose did not jibe well with its being a rally for peace. That is why I used the word “instigating” above. From the Wikipedia I got the definition of an “instigator” as a person who brings about or initiates or an action or event and it gave as example “they instigated a reign of terror." I found another Wikipedia definition of the word instigate to be even more appropriate to use in this article. It says that to instigate is “to incite someone to do something, especially something bad and the example it gives “instigating men to refuse allegiance to the civil powers” brings me to focus on the INC event last Monday.

As a backgrounder, there are three verified impeachment complaints now filed with the Office of the Secretary General of the House of Representatives. The impeachment rules require that verified complaint for impeachment by a member of the House or by any citizen upon a resolution of endorsement by any member thereof shall be filed with the office of the Secretary General and immediately referred to the Speaker. The verification process includes whether the signatures are true and that the complaint has an endorsement of at least one member of the House of representatives.

On December 2, 2024, the first formal impeachment case was lodged against Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio. The complaint listed 24 articles which were categorized in four points – "graft and corruption," "bribery," "betrayal of public trust" and "other high crimes." It was endorsed by Akbayan party-list Representative Percival Cendaña. The second impeachment complaint against the vice president was filed on December 4, 2024, by 70 activists led by the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan citing a single reason which is betrayal of public trust over the illegal use and mishandling of confidential funds. It was endorsed by Makabayan lawmakers France Castro, Arlene Brosas, and Raoul Manuel. On December 5, 2024, the third impeachment complaint against Duterte-Carpio, was filed by a group of religious workers, lawyers and civil society workers for betrayal of public trust although House Secretary General Reginald Velasco disclosed that it was prepared by select members of the House of Representatives. It was endorsed by Representatives Gabriel Hidalgo Bordado Jr of Camarines Sur and Lex Anthony Cris A. Colada of the Partylist AAMBIS-OWA.

Peace, according to the internet, is a state of harmony in the absence of hostility and violence. If indeed in a societal sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict then the INC mass action last Monday was wrongly labeled National Rally for Peace. That label was, at least, a misnomer. I caught a short glimpse of the speech of senatorial candidate Rodante Dizon Marcoleta, of SAGIP Partylist, reportedly the center piece of the rally. It was a demonstration of heightened verbal war mainly against the members of the Quadcom, now arguably famous, and those who signed the complaints. Since recent surveys showed that about fifty percent of the Filipinos support the impeachment cases, the INC rally is more of a declaration of war against the impeachment supporters