On 4th day of INC protest, Palace says security still top priority

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Amid the ongoing protest of Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) members at Edsa-Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong City, Malacañang on Sunday assured the public that authorities were doing their job to ensure peace and order in the area.

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma said police were making sure that INC protesters were following the limits of their secured permit and not causing inconvenience to the public.

“Patuloy na sinusubaybayan ng ating mga awtoridad ang mga kaganapan diyan para matiyak na manatiling tahimik at maayos ang ginagawang pagpupulong,” (Authorities are continually monitoring the events to ensure that the gathering would remain quiet and orderly) Coloma said.

He added that government was making sure that the gathering was observing the law and not hindering the movement of other people, especially on a long weekend.

August 31 is National Heroes Day, a regular holiday in the Philippines.

Echoing the statement of President Benigno Aquino III, Coloma noted that rights and freedoms come with the responsibility to respect the rights of others as well.

“Ang mahalaga rito ‘yung pagkilala natin na ang paggamit ng kalayaan, katulad ng kalayaan sa pamamahayag, ay may kaakibat na responsiblidad na obserbahan ang mga batas at maging magalang din sa karapatan ng ibang mga mamamayan. Kaya, ‘yon po, ang pokus ng ating pamahalaan ay ang pagtiyak sa kaligtasan ng publiko at kaayusan ng ating kapaligiran,” Coloma added.

Metro Manila police has raised the alert status in NCR to full alert status on Friday evening as INC members trooped from the Department of Justice compound in Padre Faura in Manila to Edsa-Shaw, causing heavy traffic along the major thoroughfare.

The Mandaluyong city government has allowed INC to protest on Edsa until today, Aug. 30.

READ: Mandaluyong allows INC to continue rally until Sunday | Police on full alert status in NCR following INC protest | Iglesia Ni Cristo protesters troop to Edsa shrine 

INC members, now on their fourth day of protest, are criticizing Justice Secretary Leila de Lima’s supposed meddling with internal affairs of their church by entertaining a complaint for illegal detention filed a former minister of the cult.

Calling for a separation of church and state, INC members said De Lima should focus on “more important issues” such as the botched Mamasapano operation instead of “prioritizing” the illegal detention case filed by dismissed INC ministers Isaias Samson against the church leadership. Yuji Vincent Gonzales/CB

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