Evangelical mission won’t hurt NLEx traffic, Iglesia Ni Cristo assures police

Contributions from Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) built this 55,000-seat Philippine Arena, touted to be the world’s biggest indoor arena. MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

BOCAUE, Bulacan—Instead of the feared half million people, only about 80,000 members and guests of the Iglesia Ni Cristo are expected at the Philippine Arena for a Saturday event, prompting traffic management authorities to scale down their worst-case scenarios for weekend traffic along the North Luzon Expressway.

The church is holding its annual Grand Evangelical Mission, where INC invites non-church members for a gathering that introduces them to the mission and values of the organization.

READ: NLEx traffic jam seen in Iglesia ni Cristo event

But the evangelical mission would not be concentrated in the Arena because members would stage their own assemblies in various parts of the country, according to police.

Senior Supt. Ferdinand Divina, Bulacan police director, said he is deploying 500 police men to augment 180 Metro Manila Development Authority traffic personnel and 20 police officers from the police Highway Patrol Group.

Divina said the police were assured that there would be no repeat of the situation during the church’s July church anniversary celebration at the Philippine Sports Stadium beside the Philippine Arena, wherein a three-hour gridlock ensued because presumed INC guests parked on three lanes of the NLEx, leaving only one lane free for northbound motorists. Carmela Reyes-Estrope, Inquirer Central Luzon/CDG