Groups, solons claim INC rally to ‘shield’ Duterte from impeachment
Metro Manila, Philippines - Some progressive groups and lawmakers slammed the plan of the Filipino religious sect Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) to hold a rally on Monday, Jan. 13, alleging this would “shield” Vice President Sara Duterte from allegations of fund misuse.
Supporters of the Duterte family have commended the INC on its move. The religious group will conduct the event based on the previous pronouncement of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that he did not want the impeachment of Duterte because the proceedings would not benefit the Filipino people.
“The Rally for Peace reflects the shared desire of Filipinos for understanding and cooperation, transcending divisions for the common good,” Sen. Francis Tolentino said in a statement on Sunday, Jan. 12. “I commend the Iglesia ni Cristo for leading this effort and inspiring us all to work together for a more peaceful and united Philippines.”
But ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro claimed that the INC’s rally was not about peace and unity, adding that “genuine peace and unity cannot be achieved by blocking legitimate calls for accountability.”
“It's a calculated move to protect Vice President Duterte from answering serious allegations about her misuse of confidential funds and her accountability for the deteriorating quality of education in our country,” Castro said.
“Walang rally ang makapagbubura sa katotohanang dapat managot ang mga opisyal ng gobyerno sa kanilang mga ginawa,” the House deputy minority leader said. “Ang milyong Pilipinong sumusuporta sa impeachment ay humihingi ng hustisya at pananagutan, hindi political theatrics.”
[Translation: No rally can remove the truth that government officials must be held accountable for their actions. The millions of Filipinos supporting the impeachment are asking for justice and accountability, not political theatrics.]
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), a coalition of progressive groups, also said that the religious gathering “reeks of partisan politics,” as it would also “shield” former President Rodrigo Duterte “from being held accountable for his crimes against humanity.”
“They are not meant to sow chaos or destabilize the nation,” Bayan’s Teddy Casiño said of the impeachment proceedings and the investigation of Congress and the International Criminal Court on Duterte’s drug war.
“They are meant to protect the public from corruption, tyranny, and impunity, which are among the very reasons why there is no peace in this country,” he said.
Three impeachment complaints have been filed before the House seeking the ouster of Duterte, but only a number of lawmakers, including Castro, endorsed the complaints.
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House Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales (Pampanga 3rd district), House Deputy Speaker David Suarez (Quezon 2nd district), and House overseas workers affairs committee chairperson Jude Acidre (Tingog party-list) also cited a recently commissioned survey that found around 4 out of 10 Filipinos support Duterte’s impeachment as a basis for public clamor for accountability. They did not endorse the ouster raps.
‘Political reality’
Sen. Win Gatchalian underscored that if the INC rally message was to show support for Marcos’ earlier pronouncement, many politicians would think twice about Duterte’s impeachment.
“Alam naman natin na pagdating sa halalan, isa sa pinakamahalagang o pinakaimportanteng aspeto sa kampanya ay ang tulong na makukuha natin sa Iglesia ni Cristo. Political reality ito,” Gatchalian said in a radio interview with dwIZ on Saturday.
[Translation: We all know that when it comes to elections, one of the most important aspects of the campaign is the help coming from the Iglesia ni Cristo. That’s the political reality.]
The religious group with the third-largest affiliation in the country, the INC is known to follow “bloc voting” during elections. As of 2020, there were 2.8 million INC members but no official figures have shown the church’s registered voters.
The INC supported the Marcos-Duterte alliance in the 2022 national elections. The Uniteam tandem, however, has already disintegrated.
The religious sect also endorsed in 2016 the presidential run of Rodrigo Duterte and Marcos’ vice presidential bid, which were under two different tickets.
