January 14, 2025
MANILA – Manila saw one of its largest protests in recent memory on Jan 13 as nearly 1.8 million members of influential Christian group Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) flocked to the historic Quirino Grandstand and surrounding streets in the Philippine capital to protest against the impeachment cases filed against Vice-President Sara Duterte.
Members of the group, which has 2.8 million followers, also staged huge demonstrations in 12 other cities, though attendance figures at those protests were unknown.
Analysts say it is a show of force by the mega church to support the embattled Ms Duterte as her feud with her erstwhile ally, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, heats up.
Ms Duterte did not attend the Manila rally in the late afternoon, but released a video statement on her official Facebook page shortly after the event ended.
“This is a powerful way to show unity and cooperation by those seeking peace for the welfare of our nation,” she said. “Thank you for loving our country.”
Several politicians allied with her made an appearance at the rally. They included senators Ronald dela Rosa, Bong Go and Robin Padilla; Representative Rodante Marcoleta, an INC member who represents pro-poor group Sagip in Congress; and a few local officials.
Senator Francis Tolentino, who used to be allies with Ms Duterte but has since shifted his support to Mr Marcos, was also at the rally.
The INC wields significant political influence in the Philippines because it is known for bloc voting during elections.
Candidates often woo church leaders to secure their support.
The Philippines is set to hold midterm polls in May.
In the 2022 presidential election, INC backed the now-ruptured pairing of Mr Marcos and Ms Duterte, who ran together on a unity platform.
The protesters said the Jan 13 gathering is not a political rally but a call for unity, as they urged the two most powerful Filipino politicians to drop their fight and focus on important issues of the day.
“We want our government to be united. Focus on fixing the problems of the country first instead of impeaching one of our own leaders,” 46-year-old welder Rodel Dayrit told The Straits Times.
Many of the protesters gathered in Manila came from the surrounding provinces on vans and buses provided by their church leaders.
Some arrived in the wee hours of Jan 13, sleeping inside tents and on mats sprawled across the grounds of Rizal Park, where the grandstand is located.
The protesters were clad in white shirts bearing the official logo for the “National Rally for Peace” and carried printed placards bearing messages like “Peace, not politics” and “Service, not self-interest”.
Several cities in the provinces had to suspend classes at schools and universities, closing off major roads to accommodate the protests.
The rally comes just days after a survey by local pollster Social Weather Stations showed that 41 per cent of Filipinos are backing the three impeachment cases filed against Ms Duterte in late 2024, with 35 per cent opposed and 19 per cent undecided.
The impeachment cases, filed by various civil society groups, stemmed from the House of Representatives’ investigation in which Ms Duterte was accused of misusing billions in public funds.
Ms Duterte has denied the accusations, but she also shocked the nation when she issued an assassination threat against the President in November 2024.
Mr Marcos has distanced himself from the ouster moves backed by his allies in the House, calling it a “storm in a teacup”.
The INC leadership has nuanced messaging for the rally: They are supporting Mr Marcos’ decision not to support Ms Duterte’s impeachment, church spokesman Edwil Zabala told ST.
“This is our stand: Put the welfare of our country, and of our countrymen, first,” he said.
“Disagreements do take place, but we hope that peaceful and decent relations among everyone will return.”
The INC’s position allows the church to take a stand without necessarily antagonising either the Marcos or Duterte camp, political analyst Jean Encinas-Franco told ST.
But she said it puts the Vice-President in a position of strength, which is crucial as the official campaign period for the May midterm polls begins in a month.
“In terms of optics, it means Sara is projecting that she has the support of this group that’s often courted by politicians during election time,” said Dr Franco.
But she doubts the rally alone will be enough to sway more Filipinos to oppose Ms Duterte’s impeachment, noting that the INC’s voting influence is confined only to its members.
However, should the INC’s massive rally succeed in boosting support for Ms Duterte in the coming weeks, this could change the power dynamics in her fight with the President, said political analyst Robin Garcia of Manila-based think-tank WR Numero Research.
“It’s a battle of narratives,” said Dr Garcia. “If Ms Duterte succeeds (in gaining more public sympathy), Marcos’ endorsing power in the 2025 elections could decrease.
“But if the opposite happens, it will show her weakness and she could actually be impeached later.”
- Mara Cepeda is Philippines correspondent at The Straits Times.