Ex-police official tells cops: Iglesia Ni Cristo to retaliate if any member is hurt

A former police official urged the Philippine National Police and even the military on Sunday night not to harm members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo joining the protest along Edsa.

Former PNP chief superintendent Orlando Macaspac, who was one of the speakers Sunday night at the INC rally at Edsa Shaw Boulevard, warned in Tagalog that INC could retaliate should any member be hurt in case government used force to disperse the rally.

“Huwag kayong mangutang kasi marunong din kaming manigil (Do not get in debt with us because we know how to collect),” the former police official said.

INC spokesman Edwin Zabala accused the police of lying about the number of INC members in the rally.

Zabala joked that there were only 25 members in the rally.

Except for Zabala, no INC official showed up at the rally.

(As of 11 p.m., Sunday, the Eastern Police District estimated the crowd to have swelled to 16,000 at Edsa Shaw, Edsa Shrine and the area near SM Megamall.  Mandaluyong City Mayor Benhur Abalos extended the rally permit of the INC until Monday morning, Aug. 31.  Latest news reports stated that the Mandaluyong City government would help in the transfer of the rallyists to Manila, where Mayor Joseph Estrada gave them a rally permit until Friday, Sept. 4.)

The INC is protesting what they claim to be the undue attention given by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to the serious illegal detention, harassment and coercion complaints filed by expelled INC minister Isaias Samson Jr. against members of the INC governing council.