‘Message sent’: Iglesia ends mass action for Marcoleta on third day

MANILA LEG Fewer members of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) show up at Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila on Thursday after the Quezon City government revoked the permit for the third day of the protest rally near the People Power Monument on Edsa in support of Sen. Rodante Marcoleta. —MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

MANILA, Philippines — The Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) on Thursday night ended its three-day protest in support of Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, saying it had already conveyed its message to government authorities over what it described as “selective justice” in the impending plunder case against the lawmaker.

In a video message aired over Net25, INC spokesperson Edwil Zabala announced the conclusion of the mass demonstration and thanked members, supporters and law enforcement personnel who took part in or secured the gathering.

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“We believe that we have clearly conveyed our message to the concerned officials,” Zabala said. “We pray that true justice will prevail in our beloved country and that those who bend the law for their own selfish interests, even at the expense of the nation, will not succeed.”

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READ: INC rally protesters vow to stay in Manila ‘as long as it takes’

He then declared the end of the protest.

“This is where we end our peaceful rally. Just as we arrived here peacefully, carefully and in an orderly manner, we hope everyone returns home the same way,” Zabala said.

Generally peaceful

The rally began Tuesday at the People Power Monument along Edsa in Quezon City before transferring on Thursday to Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila after the Quezon City government revoked the group’s permit to continue assembling at the monument.

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The INC said it organized the protest to express support for Marcoleta, who is facing imminent charges before the Sandiganbayan over his alleged failure to declare P75 million in campaign contributions from three donors, including former Rep. Mike Defensor, before the 2025 senatorial elections.

READ: Crowd reaches 2,200 on 3rd day of INC rally Thursday afternoon

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The religious organization has maintained that the case represents “selective justice” and a “distortion of the law,” arguing that Marcoleta is being singled out.

The Office of the Ombudsman earlier announced that it would file nonbailable plunder charges against the senator within this week.

The third and final day of the rally remained generally peaceful as police maintained heightened security around the protest site and key government installations.

The Manila Police District (MPD) estimated attendance at around 8,200 participants by 8 p.m. Thursday, below earlier projections of between 10,000 and 15,000 people but steadily increasing throughout the day.

Initial reports said the religious sect was expecting 100,000 of its 2.8 million members to join the protest rally. The crowd peaked at 14,100 Tuesday afternoon, based on police estimates.

Early Thursday, acting MPD Director Brig. Gen. Arnold Santiago said authorities were prepared to redirect any expansion of the gathering away from Malacañang Palace should Liwasang Bonifacio reach capacity.

No threats monitored

Instead of allowing protesters to move toward the presidential complex approximately 2 kilometers away, police said they would recommend expanding to other designated freedom parks, including Plaza Dilao in Paco, Plaza Moriones in Tondo and Plaza Miranda in Quiapo, or toward the Rizal Park area.

Roads leading to Malacañang remained heavily secured with concrete barriers, container vans and razor wire, while access through Ayala Bridge, Solano, Legarda and Mendiola was restricted as a precautionary measure, apparently to prevent an incident similar to Sept. 21, 2025 when violent clashes broke out between antiriot police and masked individuals who attempted to breach police barricades during anticorruption protests.

The security preparations came despite the Armed Forces of the Philippines saying it had not monitored any specific threat arising from the demonstration.

AFP Public Affairs Office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad said the military’s red alert posture in Metro Manila was a standard readiness measure intended to ensure troops could assist civil authorities if needed and should not be interpreted as indicating an existing security threat.

The Philippine National Police, meanwhile, downgraded its nationwide alert status from full alert to heightened alert while keeping the National Capital Region under full alert because of the ongoing demonstration.

PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the adjustment reflected the police’s continuing assessment of the situation while ensuring adequate security where it is needed.

Around 3,784 police officers and personnel from partner agencies remained deployed across Metro Manila, with approximately 1,470 assigned directly to the rally site to oversee security, traffic management and public safety.

Nartatez said police remained committed to balancing public order with the constitutional right to peaceful assembly.

The transfer of the rally to Manila followed the Quezon City government’s decision Wednesday night to revoke the permit it had granted for the assembly near the People Power Monument, citing severe traffic congestion and disruption to commuters, workers and students along Edsa and White Plains Avenue.

Liwasang Bonifacio, unlike the Edsa site, is a designated freedom park under Batas Pambansa Blg. 880 where public assemblies may be held without a permit.

Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso welcomed the protesters while appealing for an orderly gathering and reminding participants to keep the area clean. The city government also suspended classes in public and private schools Thursday to minimize disruptions from road closures.

The Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department was placed on red alert, with ambulances, rescue teams and medical personnel on standby, while the city government distributed free meals to participants who remained under tents and makeshift shelters throughout the day.

The final day of the demonstration contrasted with Tuesday’s opening protest along Edsa, when tensions briefly flared after some participants allegedly attempted to spill onto the highway, leading to the arrest of four individuals accused of injuring police officers. The four were later released pending further investigation.

Pressure on Ombudsman

Outside the rally, progressive groups renewed calls for the Office of the Ombudsman to proceed with the filing of charges against Marcoleta.

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Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan (Spark) said the continuing demonstrations underscored the need for authorities to move forward with the case, while Bagong Alyansang Makabayan secretary general Mong Palatino urged the Ombudsman to pursue corruption cases consistently regardless of political affiliation. —WITH REPORTS FROM ISABELLE PECHAY, GABRYELLE DUMALAG, AND MARC ANDREI ESGUERRA