Day 1 of Luneta prayer rally vs. corruption draws 650k crowd
The Iglesia ni Cristo’s leadership said its 3-day rally, which began yesterday, is not intended to unseat the incumbent administration, but rather is a call for concrete action against rampant corruption in the government.
INC general evangelist Bienvenido Santiago Jr. set the tone for the rally as he told a mammoth crowd of 650,000 at the at the Quirino Grandstand that their protest targets only dirty government officials.
“We want it to be clear to all… we are not seeking the downfall of our government as an institution. What we want is the downfall of corruption and to promote a government that is true to the people,” Santiago said.
“The bad leaders, the corrupt officials, they are the ones who should be ousted, not the government that guarantees the citizenry’s freedoms. Our stand is clear,” he added.
For his part, INC spokesperson Edwin Zabala said the gathering is intended as a peaceful call to express the public’s distress.
“Everyone has the right to know what is true. Let us not forget that the people’s taxes were stolen by the corrupt, so investigations should be made open to the people… In the investigation to be conducted regarding the massive theft from the public funds, our call is easy to understand: be honest, be transparent, do not hide the guilty under the blanket of lies and cover-ups,” he said in Filipino.
Zabala also dismissed claims the protest is part of a destabilization plot against the government, arguing it is only a “coordinated diversionary tactic” to avoid the real issues.
Senator Rodante Marcoleta raised transparency issues in the ongoing investigation related to the flood control anomalies.
In his message, the senator said the religious group, of which he is a member, is only seeking “transparency, accountability, and justice.”
“In the context of the ongoing investigation into the anomalous deployment of flood control projects in our country. It should be open, transparent, acceptable, and truthful, unlike what we see today,” Marcoleta said in Filipino.
The INC’s 3-day rally for transparency was off to a strong start after it drew some 650,000 participants at the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta, according to the Manila Police District’s crowd estimate early last night.
Meanwhile, Duterte supporters moved their assembly to Liwasang Bonifacio on Sunday after they were barred from joining the INC rally.
“We wrote them a letter asking to be let in [the rally venue], but they refused because we had signs saying ‘BBM resign’… They said they had their own program,” Daniel Nobleza, spokesperson for Reforma Filipina and Hakbang Maisug, said in Filipino.
The INC did not want its event to be tainted with political color, he explained in a radio interview.
As this developed, Malacañang assured that sufficient security preparations were in place amid the rally organized by the INC and other groups, as authorities implemented temporary gate closures and tightened perimeter controls around the Presidential Palace.
“I think the preparations they’re making are enough. Whatever gate they open, I think that’s enough to provide protection to prevent trouble,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said.
“It’s not only Malacañang that’s being protected here. There are many people who could be dragged in… In the past, other people and establishments were dragged in,” she added.
Castro was referring to a riot that broke out along Mendiola Street and Recto Avenue during a similar anti-corruption rally, called the “Trillion Peso March,” on September 21.
Yesterday, however, no protest action took place in the immediate vicinity of Malacañang Palace.
President Marcos closely monitored yesterday’s demonstration organized by the INC, Presidential Communications Office Acting Secretary Dave Gomez said.
“Yes, the President is monitoring today,” he told reporters.
Leyte First District Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez called on the public to let sobriety rule amid the political noise:
“Let institutions do their work,” he said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Manila City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MCDRRMO) deployed 49 personnel, seven ambulances, two service vehicles, one shower truck, and one fire tanker to the rally.
Personnel and ambulances from the Manila Health Department (MHD), the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), and fire volunteers were assigned to several stations in Quirino Grandstand and Kartilya ng Katipunan.
Some 3,000 police were deployed together with force multipliers to ensure public safety in the city.
They were stationed in major key areas, including Quirino Grandstand, United States Embassy, Ayala Bridge, Chino Roces Bridge-Mendiola, and Recto Avenue, among others.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “INC: Rallies an act of civic duty, not disunity”
