Edsa gridlock from Iglesia rally a result of free speech–Binay

Vice President Jejomar Binay. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

Vice President Jejomar Binay on Wednesday said he was just explaining the constitutional right of people to hold protest actions against the government when he spoke favorably on the rallies staged by the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) and questioned the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation of its leaders.

“You know, I did not consider my candidacy (for president). It was just a normal reaction of… a human rights lawyer,” said Binay, who was a human rights lawyer during the Martial Law years.

Binay said he was reacting to the question of why the INC members were on the streets.

The Vice President made the statement in reply to reporters’ questions on whether or not he was hurt by criticism that he was merely pandering to the influential religious sect.

“I was just explaining and stressing that under the Constitution, you have freedom of speech. And protesting is part of freedom of speech,” he said.

Binay said if people were inconvenienced by the INC mass actions that caused massive traffic along Edsa when it staged four days of rallies at the Edsa Shrine, this was a “consequence of freedom of speech.”

The INC staged the rallies to demand the resignation of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima for investigating complaints of serious illegal detention filed by expelled INC minister Isaias Samson Jr., and his family against the sect’s governing council.

The INC ended its protest actions last Monday after a dialogue with Palace officials. Malacañang denied it had struck a deal with the INC, saying De Lima will stay on the job and the DOJ’s investigation into the complaint filed by Samson will continue.—Christine O. Avendaño

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