Manila: Thousands fill EDSA as Iglesia ni Cristo rallies for Senator Marcoleta, triggering major road closures
Religious bloc decries ‘selective justice’ in show of force for Marcoleta
Manila: Thousands of demonstrators, many of them members of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), gathered Tuesday (June 30) along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) near the People Power Monument.
The public protest prompted traffic closures as the influential religious group voiced support for Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, who is facing a possible plunder case over alleged campaign donations totaling Php75 million.
In a statement read by INC spokesman Edwil Zabala, the church said the rally was intended to express support for Marcoleta and to call for what it described as fairness and transparency in the justice system.
"We want to make it heard by those in authority that even if they imprison Senator Marcoleta, we will not stop demanding justice," Zabala said.
"We want to let them know that selective justice is an injustice and we will not remain silent," he added.
Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste, along with 200 of his constituents, joined the protest at Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila for the INC rally in support of Marcoleta.
In an ambush interview, Leviste describes the imminent filing of a plunder case against Marcoleta as "selective justice," saying that those involved in the flood control corruption must be held accountable.
Portions of EDSA closed
The demonstration forced authorities to close portions of EDSA, one of Metro Manila's busiest highways, causing heavy traffic disruptions around the People Power Monument and nearby areas.
Marcoleta, a first-term senator and longtime INC member, is under scrutiny over allegations involving campaign donations. Authorities have yet to formally file charges, and the senator has denied wrongdoing.
The rally highlights the continuing political influence of the Iglesia ni Cristo, one of the Philippines' largest religious organizations.
The church has historically demonstrated its ability to mobilise tens of thousands of members and has often drawn national attention for its unified positions on issues it considers matters of justice or public concern.
INC has repeatedly maintained that its public gatherings are not partisan political activities but expressions of civic concern.
'Non-partisan'
During previous nationwide demonstrations, the sect said its objective was to promote "transparency, accountability, justice and peace," while rejecting accusations that it was intervening in political disputes.
Tuesday's gathering is the latest in a series of high-profile public mobilisations involving the religious group.
In January 2025, the INC organised a massive "National Rally for Peace" opposing efforts to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte, while later demonstrations focused on calls for accountability in connection with the country's multibillion-peso flood control controversy.
EDSA has long served as the country's most symbolic avenue for political demonstrations, having been the site of the 1986 People Power Revolution that toppled President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
Over the decades, the thoroughfare has remained a focal point for rallies involving religious organisations, civil society groups and political movements.
The Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), founded in the Philippines in 1914 by Felix Y. Manalo, is one of the country's largest and most influential religious organisations, with millions of members in the Philippines and congregations in more than 160 countries and territories. INC believes Felix Manalo was God's last messenger in these last days. Salvation is taught to be found through membership in the INC and faithful adherence to its teachings. Following Felix Manalo's death in 1963, leadership passed to his son, Eraño G. Manalo, and since 2009 the church has been led by his grandson, Eduardo V. Manalo.
