Tovic Salvador

INC members start arriving as preps continue for ‘National Rally for Peace’

Article (news)

Harlene Delgado

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — Preparations for Iglesia Ni Cristo’s &quot;National Rally for Peace&quot; gathering on Monday, January 13, are now in full swing at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila.</p><p>Security protocols are in place, including barricades and K9 units.</p><p>Portable toilets have also been installed in parts of the venue and medical stations have been set up.</p><p>Members of the religious group have also started to arrived at the venue a day before the event.</p><p>Rodrigo Gamas, 25, travelled all the way from Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija early Sunday with other INC members to avoid heavy traffic.</p><p>They set up a tent just beside the venue. However, they decided to book a hotel instead after MMDA personnel asked them to stay in the designated parking area instead.</p><p>Despite this, they are excited for tomorrow’s gathering.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/10/classes-government-work-in-pasay-and-manila-suspended-on-jan-13-for-inc-peace-rally-1321">Classes, government work in Pasay and Manila suspended on Jan. 13 for INC ‘peace rally’</a></div><p>“Syempre po sumusunod po kami sa aming namamahala para po sa kapayapaan ng ating bansa,” he said.</p><p>(Of course, we will obey our leadership for peace in our country)</p><div><br/></div><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:456px;height:547px;display:block;flex-grow:1" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1878304543232127165&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2025-01-12T06%3A47%3A31.376705%3Ad545395c-d8bd-4e9a-b122-ff86732da826%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=09ecddf18e0ed259e961d8b41553625cac94f7a1&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="1878304543232127165"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;A CALL FOR PEACE&#x27;</strong></div><p>Erlinda Nioles, 60, also travelled early from Bocaue, Bulacan onboard a bus with other INC members.</p><p>She said they were asked to help in the preparations for the event.</p><p>“Utos lang po ng boss namin na magserbisyo po kami sa Quirino Grandstand kasi may mga bisita po,” she said.</p><p>(We were told to serve at the Quirino Grandstand because there are visitors)</p><p>She said that she and her companions believe helping out with the gathering is part of fulfilling her duty as an INC member.</p><p>Meanwhile, the group of Darius Lolong, 34, from Oriental Mindoro decided to eat and stay at the grandstand while they are sorting out where to spend the night.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/weather-traffic/2025/1/12/-alamin-road-closures-dahil-sa-gaganaping-rally-ng-inc-1352">ALAMIN: Road closures dahil sa &#x27;National Rally for Peace&#x27; ng INC</a></div><p>“Of course, very excited kami dahil sa ito first time na nangyari rin sa akin bilang INC and then syempre ang pinaka-ano naman natin dito is yung magkaroon tayo ng kapayapaan sa ating bansa sa lahat ng mga nanunungkulan at sa Pangulong [Ferdinand Marcos Jr.] ay kaisa kami ng kaniyang adhikain,” he explained.</p><p>(Of course, we are very excited because this is a first time for me as an INC member and, of course, the goal is to call for peace in the Philippines. We support President Marcos in his advocacy)</p><p>Frances Sabino, 60, from Lipa City, Batangas was passing some time with his husband at the crandstand when they chanced upon Lolong’s group.</p><p>She said she was elated at meeting other INC members from other parts of the country.</p><p>“These good brethren are from Oriental Mindoro and then they were having lunch nagpi-picnic na dito and then they invited us to eat so hindi talaga kami magkakakilala but I like I said we feel like we&#x27;ve known each other all our lives kasi ganun ang mga Iglesia (Ni Cristo) eh, pag nalamang Iglesia (Ni Cristo), magagaan agad ang loob,” she said.</p><p>Sabino, who has been an INC member since she was 12 years old, emphasized that the gathering is not intended for any political agenda.</p><p>“We&#x27;d like to show our unity it&#x27;s not really to make a political statement, it&#x27;s more of a rally for peace. So, how can it be political. It&#x27;s anything but political,” she stressed.</p><p>Ka Edwil Zabala, an INC leader, said Saturday that the religious group &quot;supports the opinion of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that he does not agree with the impeachment being pushed against our Vice President.&quot;</p><p>He said that the group also agrees with Marcos that impeachment proceedings would distract government from &quot;many more things which our citizens need that must be attended to.&quot;</p><div><strong>&#x27;ACCOUNTABILITY NOT A WASTE OF TIME&#x27;</strong></div><p>But for ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro, who has endorsed one of three impeachment complaints filed against Vice President Sara Duterte, the gathering is &quot;a calculated move&quot; to shield Duterte from allegations of fund misuse at the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education that she headed until July 2024.</p><p>She said Duterte &quot;must also answer for the alarming decline in our students&#x27; performance in international assessments for Math, English, and Science during her watch.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/8/41-percent-of-pinoys-back-ouster-of-vp-sara-duterte-sws-1827">41 percent of Pinoys back ouster of VP Sara Duterte: SWS</a></div><p>In a separate statement, Bayan Muna chairperson Teddy Casiño said holding government officials accountable &quot;will never be a waste of time and resources.&quot;</p><p>He added: &quot;By saying that impeachment is only a waste of time, President Bongbong Marcos only deepens the culture of impunity, where public funds are questioned but the culprits are not held accountable.&quot;</p><div><strong>GATHERINGS AT 13 SITES ACROSS THE PHILIPPINES<br/></strong></div><p>Authorities earlier said up to 1 million INC members are expected to attend the rally.</p><p>Zabala said Saturday attendees will begin to arrive at 8 a.m., while the event proper will start at 4 p.m. and expected to end at 6 p.m. on Monday. </p><p>Parallel programs will also be held across the country, he said.</p><p>&quot;All in all, there are 13 sites in different regions of the Philippines where people will gather,&quot; he said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/1/10/occidental-mindoro-officials-say-ph-needs-unity-not-impeachment-1944">Occidental Mindoro officials say PH needs unity, not impeachment</a></div><p>With the arrival of members, lines of vans and buses can be seen parked along one lane of Bonifacio Drive to Anda Circle and Padre Burgos Avenue.</p><p>Several roads near Quirino Grandstand will be closed beginning 4 a.m. on Monday while rerouting scheme have been published by the MMDA and Manila Local Government Unit.</p>

<p>Preparations for Iglesia Ni Cristo’s "National Rally for Peace" gathering on Monday, January 13, are now in full swing at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila.</p>

Preparations for Iglesia Ni Cristo’s "National Rally for Peace" gathering on Monday, January 13, are now in full swing at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila.