Members of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) gathered at the EDSA People Power Monument on Tuesday, June 30, to protest after the announcement of the filing of plunder charges against Sen. Rodante Marcoleta.
The Office of the Ombudsman has since filed the case with the Sandiganbayan.
On Tuesday morning, buses and private vehicles were spotted arriving around the People Power Monument on EDSA and before 6 a.m., they had already occupied the northbound lane of EDSA and part of White Plains.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) scrambled to deploy thousands of police officers while raising the full alert status nationwide.
Police Major Gen Anthony Aberin said they cannot disperse the INC because of the large number of attendees.
“The moment na i-disperse natin, magkakaroon po ng kaguluhan dahil sa dami po nila,” Aberin said.
The protest came suddenly after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla announced on Monday that he would file plunder charges against Marcoleta in connection with his failure to declare 75 million pesos in campaign donations.
In a statement by INC spokesperson Edwin Sabala, the filing of the case against Marcoleta is said to be a step to stop the senator from his crusade against corruption.
”Hindi tutol ang Iglesia ni Cristo sa pagpapatupad ng batas. Pero tutol kami sa pagbaluktot sa batas, lalo na kung ang layunin ay para pagtakpan ang katiwalian,” Sabala said.
Marcoleta condemned the possible filing of the case, which is said to be aimed at preventing him from investigating the flood control scandal and participating in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
”Ang kasalanan ko lamang po yung paglingkuran kayo. Kung kasalanan pong matatawag ‘yan na humarap sa kanila nang buong tapang para sa gano’n ay malaman ninyo ang totoo,” Marcoleta stated.
(The only wrongdoing I have is serving you. If facing them courageously is considered wrong just for you to be able to learn the truth.)
The Armed Forces of the Philippines said it was monitoring the situation and urged participants to keep the gathering peaceful and lawful.
