INC rally: Members call for peace between Sara Duterte, Bongbong Marcos
Participants in the “National Rally for Peace” of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) gather around the Quirino Grandstand in Manila hours before the event begins on Monday, January 13, 2025. Members said the INC rally was not a political assembly but a call for peace between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte. INQUIRER.net/ Faith Argosino
MANILA, Philippines — The “National Rally for Peace” of Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) is not a political assembly but a call for peace between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte.
Members of the religious group gathered at the Quirino Grandstand on Monday, describing the event as a show of support for President Marcos’ stand against moves to impeach Vice President Duterte.
Hours ahead of the scheduled 4 p.m., Jan. 13, start of the National Rally for Peace, around 1.5 million INC members massed around the Quirino Grandstand in Manila.
INC member Nalyn Chavez, 23, left Batangas City early to attend the gathering.
“From the word itself, rally for peace, ang pinaka-goal ko or goal namin na magkaroon ng peace sa ating government, magkaroon ng peace between the president and the vice president,” Chavez told INQUIRER.net at the Quirino Grandstand.
Article continues after this advertisement(From the word itself, rally for peace; my ultimate goal or our goal is to attain peace in the government and peace between the president and the vice president.)
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“We stand that this is not a political rally, so wala itong kinalaman sa kahit sinong pulitiko. Hindi kami tumatayo sa kanino mang pulitiko, para lang talaga sa unity ng bansa,” she added.
(We stand that this is not a political rally, so this has nothing to do with any politician. We do not stand for any politician, just for the unity of the country.)
Lourdes Manzano, 57, echoed Chavez.
“Doon kami sa kapayapaan, ayaw namin ng gulo. Wala kaming kahit na sinong pulitiko na sinusuportahan,” said Manzano, who hails from Marikina City.
(We want peace, not disorder. We are not supporting any politician.)
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Darwin Aaron Tuballa of Cavite said the same about the INC rally.
“Ang layunan lang namin ay magkaisa kami para maging mapayapa ‘yung bansa,” the 22-year-old INC member said.
(Our goal is for us to be united so that the country will be at peace.)
The Philippine National Police deployed 5,500 personnel to ensure public safety at the Quirino Grandstand.
On January 10, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said the INC rally may attract 1 million attendees.
INQUIRER.net/ Faith Argosino