MANILA (Bloomberg): An influential Philippine religious group continued its protest for a second day, backing a church member and senator facing possible plunder charges and snarling traffic on Manila’s main thoroughfare.
The rally adds to the political tension between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his ally-turned-nemesis Vice President Sara Duterte, whose impeachment trial in the Senate will start next week. Financial markets have shown mixed reactions, with the nation’s benchmark stock index ending 0.5% higher on Wednesday, while the peso extended its decline.
Around 5,000 people joined the Iglesia ni Cristo-led protest at the People Power Monument along the capital’s main highway EDSA, less than a tenth of the 100,000 organizers expected and down from Tuesday’s 14,000 peak.
They’re supporting Senator Rodante Marcoleta, who the ombudsman said would be charged with plunder as early as this week over undeclared campaign donations during the 2025 election. Their buses continued to block a road linked to EDSA, extending Tuesday’s gridlock.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines placed troops in the capital region on red alert status to ensure heightened readiness. Marcos, in a speech Wednesday at the anniversary celebration of the Philippine Air Force, urged its members to defend democratic institutions.
"The president believes the Iglesia ni Cristo held a protest to push for transparency and accountability. He will not disregard that,” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a briefing, asking the religious group not to be used by people with vested interests.
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, in a separate statement Wednesday, said "no public official - regardless of rank or position - will be spared from investigation and prosecution when evidence of wrongdoing exists.”
The protest could have been planned better to avoid widespread disruption, George Barcelon, chairman emeritus of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told DZMM radio station. The religious group sought permission to stage protests until Friday, but only Wednesday’s rally has been allowed, according to a city official.
Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, a Duterte ally alongside Marcoleta, joined the gathering. "Protests are meant to inconvenience so we would wake up to what is happening around us,” he said.
Marcos’ sister, Senator Imee Marcos, another Duterte supporter, also attended the rally late Tuesday.
The rally, which didn’t have a permit on its first day, prompted President Marcos to cancel his public engagements on Tuesday. Still, he’s scheduled to go ahead with his July 1-4 state visit to Canada where he’s expected to meet Prime Minister Mark Carney and Canadian business leaders, his office said.
Iglesia ni Cristo, known for voting as a bloc during elections, has more than 2.8 million members as of 2020, government data show. It supported the Marcos-Duterte tandem in the 2022 election.
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