Iglesia ni Cristo Wraps Up Rally for Senator Marcoleta

MANILA, Philippines — The Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) on Thursday evening, July 2, ended its three-day rally in support of Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, saying it had delivered its message as the lawmaker faces looming plunder charges over alleged undeclared campaign contributions. The church's protest began on June 30 at the EDSA People Power Monument in Quezon City, where it caused heavy traffic for two days, before transferring to Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila after the Quezon City government revoked its permit. In a video message aired on Net25 after the program, INC spokesperson Brother Edwil Zabala thanked members and supporters who joined the gathering despite the rain and heat. “Salamat sa inyong lahat, sa pakikipag-isa sa mapayapang kilusan nating ito. Salamat sa inyong pagtitiyaga na kahit umuulan o mainit ang araw, ay narito pa rin kayo alang-alang sa ating mithiin," Zabala said. (Thank you all for joining this peaceful movement. Thank you for your perseverance, for staying here despite the rain or the heat of the sun, all for the sake of our shared goal.) He said the church believes it had made its position clear to authorities. "Higit sa lahat, nagpapasalamat tayo sa Diyos at umaasang kung ano ang kanyang kalooban ay siyang makapangyayari. Naniniwala tayo na naiparating natin nang malinaw sa mga kinauukulan ang ating mensahe,” Zabala said. (Above all, we thank God and hope that His will shall prevail. We believe that we have clearly conveyed our message to the authorities.) The INC spokesperson expressed hope that "true justice" would prevail and urged participants to head home peacefully as he formally declared the rally over. He also thanked government authorities for allowing the rally to proceed and acknowledged the personalities who addressed the crowd during the three-day event. The demonstration was mounted after the Office of the Ombudsman announced it was set to file plunder charges against Marcoleta over P75 million in campaign contributions that he allegedly failed to declare in his Statement of Campaign Expenditures. Marcoleta has denied the allegations. The rally was attended by several political allies of the senator, including Sens. Robin Padilla and Imee Marcos, Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste and former presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo. Police maintained a heavy security presence in Manila, deploying about 500 personnel, while members of the Philippine Coast Guard were stationed along Kalaw Avenue and Roxas Boulevard. The Manila Police District said attendance peaked at around 8,200 people at about 8 p.m. Earlier, Malacañang called on the INC leadership to ensure that the rally would not be used by groups seeking to destabilize the government. After the rally concluded, Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the three-day assembly was "generally peaceful and orderly." "While minor incidents were recorded during the first day of the activity and were promptly addressed in accordance with existing laws and established operational procedures, the second and third days of the public assembly were generally peaceful and orderly," Nartatez said in a statement posted on Facebook on Thursday evening. "The cooperation and discipline demonstrated by the organizers and participants, together with the professionalism of police personnel, augmentation forces, and partner agencies, contributed to the successful conclusion of the public assembly," he added. He also thanked police personnel, local government units, organizers, participants, motorists and commuters for their cooperation throughout the three-day rally. "We likewise thank the organizers, participants, motorists, commuters, and the general public for their cooperation, patience, and respect for public order," the PNP chief said.