The Davao City Police Office (DCPO) reported that the holding of Iglesia ni Cristo’s (INC’s) National Rally for Peace in Davao City on Monday was generally peaceful.
The INC held a simultaneous nationwide peace rally in Manila, Davao City, Cebu City, Iloilo City, Cagayan de Oro City, Butuan City, Pagadian City, Isabela, Albay, Vigan, Puerto Princesa, Ormoc City and Bacolod City on Monday.
The nationwide rally gathered members of INC in a unified call for peace, harmony, and social justice.
DCPO spokesperson Capt. Hazel Caballero Tuazon reported that an estimated 370,000 INC members and attendees from other groups participated in the rally.
Tuazon said a total of 4,847 security forces, 803 from the Philippine National Police (PNP), were deployed to ensure peace and order.
Of the number, 2,204 were from the DCPO including 788 police personnel and 1,416 from the Police Auxiliary Unit.
Based on the posts online, attendees started clustering at the San Pedro Square before 6 a.m.
DCPO reported that as of 10 a.m. the number of attendees reached an estimate of 175,000. In the afternoon, the crowd swelled to almost 400,000.
The Maisug group composed of 1,000 participants and the Protect VP Sara Davao City Chapter were among the non-INC groups that joined in the peace rally. The groups conducted a “Walk for Peace, Walk for Sara” from the Freedom Park on Roxas Avenue to Rizal Park along San Pedro Street at 2 p.m.
Meanwhile, the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office reported that more than 1.58 million members of INC occupied the Quirino Grandstand for the peace rally in the capital.
In his message during the Manila rally, SAGIP Partylist Representative Rodante Marcoleta, a member of INC, emphasized that the rally is not political.
“Binanggit din ang ating kagustuhan na ipaalam sa mga opisyales ng ating pamahalaan ang ninais at pinapangarap na maayos at epektibong paglilingkod at paglutas sa lumalalang kahirapan na pinalubha pa ng katiwalian at korapsyon, kalamidad, kriminalidad, bangayang pampulitika at iba pa. Kinikilala po nating lahat na nagkakatipon ngayon na sa pagkakaisa, kapayapaan, at pagkakasundo lamang natin makakamit ang hinahangad na pag-unlad at pagsulong ng ating bansa,” Marcoleta said.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian admitted that the peace rally would impact the move to impeach Vice President Duterte.
According to Gatchalian, the rally will make politicians and government officials to think twice about supporting the impeachment of the Vice President.
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) earlier reminded politicians and candidates in this year’s midterm elections who would attend INC’s peace rally not to politicize the event.
Sent from my iPhone
