EDSA Protest Disrupts Traffic; Marcos Cancels Events

A SURPRISE protest that snarled traffic along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) on Tuesday after the Ombudsman announced a nonbailable plunder case against a sitting senator forced President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to cancel public engagements and heightened political tensions days before Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio’s impeachment trial. Supporters of Senator Rodante D. Marcoleta gathered at the EDSA Shrine in Quezon City after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin C. Remulla announced on Monday that a plunder case would be filed before the Sandiganbayan over P75 million in campaign donations that authorities said were not reflected in the senator’s asset disclosures. The religious group Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), which organized the gathering, said it was protesting what it described as “selective justice” rather than opposing law enforcement. “What we oppose is the distortion of the law, especially when its purpose is to cover up corruption,” INC spokesman Edwil D. Zabala said in Filipino during a livestream on Net25. The protest forced the cancellation of Mr. Marcos’ scheduled launch of a Manila Bay cleanup vessel and a luncheon with foreign correspondents in Makati City ahead of his official visit to Canada from July 1 to 4. Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro said the President respects the constitutional right to peaceful assembly but warned that violations of the law would not be tolerated. “Maximum tolerance should be applied and authorities should listen to what they have to say, but if someone violates the law, then the law should also be enforced,” she told a news briefing in Filipino. She said the police had been placed on full alert to restore normal traffic flow and maintain order. She added there was no direct threat to the President despite heightened security around Malacañang. Police estimated that about 10,000 people had gathered at the EDSA People Power Monument by late morning after participants began arriving before dawn, prompting lane closures and heavy traffic. Police spokesman Colonel Allen Rae F. Co said about 6,000 police personnel had been deployed. He added that organizers had not secured a rally permit, based on information from the National Capital Region Police Office. Police would continue exercising maximum tolerance while ensuring compliance with laws governing public assemblies, he said. The Armed Forces of the Philippines, which coordinated with the police, likewise urged organizers to ensure the gathering would not unduly disrupt commuters and the public. In a separate statement, Ms. Duterte accused the Marcos administration of using the justice system against political opponents. “The President’s failures of character and leadership have fostered an increasingly oppressive political environment,” she said in a statement, adding that the administration had “weaponized the justice system” against its critics. Ms. Castro rejected the accusation, saying authorities were simply enforcing the law. “Selective justice would be if influence, violence or intimidation were used to prevent charges from being filed against an ally,” she said in Filipino. Mr. Marcoleta denied wrongdoing and said the charges were intended to prevent him from participating in Ms. Duterte’s impeachment trial, which opens next week. “I knew they would arrest me,” he said in Filipino, adding that his absence from the impeachment court was part of the plan against him. Mr. Remulla did not immediately reply to a text message seeking comment. Senator Panfilo M. Lacson also clarified that his earlier remarks about the possible arrest of more senators before the impeachment trial were merely hypothetical and intended to explain the Senate’s voting requirements. He also expressed confidence that the Ombudsman would not bow to pressure from the Iglesia ni Cristo rallies supporting Mr. Marcoleta. Despite the protest, Executive Secretary Dave M. Gomez said the President’s visit to Canada would proceed as scheduled. Mr. Marcos will travel to Vancouver from July 1 to 4 for talks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney focused on security cooperation, maritime defense, trade and bilateral relations. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking, Mark Joseph M. Sanchez and Kaela Patricia B. Gabriel