THE powerful Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) has admitted mobilizing a protest rally along EDSA over what has been aptly referred to as selective justice by the Marcos administration.
In a statement, the INC said that the Edsa rally is to call for transparency, accountability, justice, and peace after the Ombudsman hinted at filing a plunder case against Senator Rodante Marcoleta before the Sandiganbayan.
According to the INC, it supports Marcoleta who stands to be charged with a non-bailable offense even as the group rejected “selective justice” and “distortion of law.”
“The Iglesia ni Cristo is calling for transparency, accountability, justice, and peace,” INC Spokesperson Bro. Edwil Zabala said in a Net 25 livestream.
“That is why we want the authorities to hear this: Even if they imprison Senator Marcoleta, we will not stop demanding justice for our fellow Filipinos who have been robbed,” Zabala added.
MONTROUS TRAFFIC
In deploring “selective justice” by the Marcos administration, the protest rally effectively caused traffic mayhem in both north and south bound lanes, which was aggravated by heavy rains. Many commuters headed for their work places were stuck for hours in the traffic.
In trying to open part of EDSA, two have been reportedly arrested in a rally, which Gen. Nicolas Torre III — in his capacity as Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) general manager – said had no permit.
“There was absolutely no coordination and the rally had no permit,” Torres was quoted in a radio interview.
Thousands of individuals gathered along Edsa and White Plains Avenue early Tuesday morning purportedly in support of Marcoleta who is set to face a plunder complaint over a campaign contributions case.
Due to the volume of attendees, White Plains Avenue and all northbound lanes of Edsa (except for the carousel lane) were rendered inaccessible in view of a crowd estimated to be around 10,000.
A simultaneous rally was also held at the Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila with about 400 persons in the area, the Manila Police District confirmed.
REMULLA FACTOR
The rally came a day after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said his office was set to file a non-bailable plunder case against Marcoleta before the Sandiganbayan in connection with the P75 million in campaign donations case.
However, the INC stood by Marcoleta who had led an investigation into the flood control probe that exposed many others when he was still chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, and continued pursuing the matter even after losing the committee chairmanship.
Questioning the basis of the complaint, the INC said campaign donations accepted by Marcoleta did not come from government funds, citing that the Commission on Election (Comelec) found that no crime was committed in Marcoleta’s acceptance of campaign donations.
“We want them to know that selective justice is an injustice, and we will not remain silent in the face of this grave assault on the justice that our people deserve,” Zabala added.
PALACE SECURED
In Manila, all roads leading to Malacañang have already been closed to all motorists and pedestrians. Two containers have been positioned on Ayala Bridge, leading to one of the Palace gates.
Prior to “sealing” the Palace, rallyists donning white shirts with imprints which read “Accountability and Transparency” gathered at the People Power Monument in EDSA and at the Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila.
As an offshoot, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. canceled his engagements in Manila and Makati to monitor the ongoing EDSA rally, said Secretary Dave Gomez of the Presidential Communications Office.
In EDSA, MMDA began towing illegally parked vehicles as authorities sought to ease heavy traffic caused by a protest rally near Ortigas Avenue.
Marcoleta on Tuesday alleged that the impending plunder case against him was part of a coordinated effort to prevent him from participating in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, which is set to begin on July 6, Inquirer said.
WHAT WENT BEFORE
Marcoleta, an INC member, is set to face plunder complaint before the Ombudsman amid questions on campaign donations he received but did not include in his declaration with the Comelec.
He reported spending P112 million for his 2025 senatorial run, but declared no campaign contributions in his documents filed with the Commission on Elections. That’s even though his net worth was only P51 million.
He later acknowledged receiving P75 million in donations but said the funds were given before the official campaign period began. He argued he was not required to make the disclosure before he was considered an official candidate.
While the poll body said no election rule was violated, as Marcoleta received the amount before he became an official candidate for a Senate seat, the justice department noted that he obtained it while serving as a congressman representing the SAGIP partylist group.
The country’s plunder law, or RA 7080, is a criminal statute aimed at public officials accused of amassing at least P50 million in ill-gotten wealth, carrying the penalties of life imprisonment and life-time ban from holding public office, Rappler explained.
Marcoleta should have kept his mouth shut but instead, admitted that he received DONATION from friends which he did not declare in his SALN.