Much ado about the 1.8 million

One national daily dubbed it a “show of force”, while another described it as a “mammoth rally.” I’m referring to the rally held on Monday, January 13, organized by the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) and attended by its members. I believe its political implications, as inferred by the media and some political pundits, are overstated.

1.8 million participants nationwide is an impressive number. However, it is something that some political opportunists tout as significant but with actually little political consequence. Let’s call it what it is. Here is the factual context behind the numbers.

First is the purpose of the rally. INC spokesperson Edwil Zabala stated that the rally was a “call for peace and unity”, focusing on moral and societal concerns rather than a political agenda. In fairness to the INC, the gathering indeed showcased non-political colors, with attendees wearing white shirts, and there was no shouting of politicians' names or displaying of political slogans.

Second is the history of INC’s public gatherings. I have yet to see, either in the media or in person, an INC event directly tied to political endorsements. While they do endorse candidates during elections, I believe their leaders are also sensitive to the varied political views of their members. Large-scale events of religious groups like the INC mainly showcase organizational solidarity or advocate for broad societal issues, not overtly partisan agendas. That’s why they can mobilize significant numbers among their membership.

Talking about political endorsements during elections, allow me to digress a bit from the topic to point out that the notion of bloc voting by the INC may also be overstated. For one, without scientific research, claims about the power of INC’s voting bloc remain anecdotal and speculative. For another, the INC has endorsed candidates in the past who ultimately lost in elections. These cases are often overlooked, creating an inaccurate perception of INC’s influence. There are also many instances where candidates endorsed by the INC were already leading in pre-election surveys and were likely to win regardless of the endorsement. In other words, the endorsement merely aligned with an already-strong candidate. Like this “mammoth rally” last Monday, media coverage and political observers often overstate the narrative of INC's political sway.

This brings me back to the topic and the third reason why we should not overstate the implications of the INC rally. Keen observers point to the presence of political figures at the rally, such as Duterte allies Senators Bato dela Rosa and Bong Go. Even Senator Francis Tolentino, who is seen as an ally of the Marcos administration, was reportedly present. The presence of politicians at high-profile public events is not uncommon. We all understand why their prominent presence is allowed by organizers; they are expected to align themselves with the general themes of peace and unity at the event, rather than directly promoting a partisan cause.

And this is precisely why the rally was able to gather such a large number of participants. Its focus was centered around broad societal issues, such as the rising cost of basic goods and the call for national unity --issues that, as a member of the organizing group, you likely wouldn’t object to. Everyone agrees with the idea of moral reconciliation and national unity. Internal dissent only arises when members are required to attend rallies explicitly endorsing particular candidates in upcoming elections. Ambiguous rallies like the one last Monday barely qualify as political endorsements.

While the rally echoed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s negative stance on the impeachment issue facing the vice president, this alignment was framed as a call for national stability rather than an outright endorsement of Vice President Sara Duterte Carpio. Of course, we cannot ignore the potential intentions and machinations of the INC leadership, as they too have their own motivations in shaping the rally’s implied narratives. However, we are talking about the 1.8 million INC members who attended the rally, who do not necessarily share the same political motivations and views as their leaders.

This does not detract from the INC's ability to mobilize large crowds. Indeed, the “mammoth rally” is a testament to its organizational capacity and internal unity, but not necessarily to its members’ political views and agenda. Making much ado about every INC public event as a politically-consequential occasion misrepresents the religious institution’s broader social and moral mission.

The rally should be seen for what it was: an important civic event, not a pivotal political maneuver.