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Mandaluyong allows Iglesia ni Cristo protesters to stay until Monday morning
(Updated 1:40 a.m., August 31, 2015) Mandaluyong Mayor Benjamin "Benhur" Abalos Jr. announced Sunday night that members of the Iglesia ni Cristo gathered on EDSA can stay there until morning even if the permit granted by the city government was supposed to expire at midnight.
"Mensahe ko po sa kapulisan: pinapahintulutan ko po sila for humanitarian reasons, magpatila sa Mandaluyong," Abalos said on the stage where the Iglesia had been holding performances through the night.
He said that he would personally escort the Iglesia ni Cristo members to Manila in the morning, where he would hand them over to Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada.
"Kaya po mamayang umaga, kung sakali mang maayos ang paglipat sa Maynila, di na din po ako matutulog. Sasamahan ko kayo," he said.
Manila earlier issued a rally permit for the protesters until Sept. 4.
However, Iglesia spokesperson Edwil Zabala told Super Radyo dzBB's James Agustin that, though the protesters were definitely going to leave the EDSA-Shaw corner, with their members prohibited from staying there after Monday noon, it was still unclear if they would take their protest to Manila.
Church members began their mass action last Thursday at the Department of Justice compound to protest what they say is special treatment in a complaint filed by an expelled minister who has accused church leaders of illegally detention and harassment.
They moved their protest to EDSA on Friday.
Church members say it is an internal matter and have been calling on the government to uphold "the separation of church and state", a Constitutional principle that bars the government from passing laws to establish a state religion or to prohibit the exercise of any religion.
EDSA paralyzed
Citing figures from the Eastern Police District, dzBB Super Radyo reported at 1:50 a.m., Monday that there were 20,200 protesters—10,200 protesters at the corner of EDSA and Shaw Boulevard, 5,000 at the Megamall, and 5,000 at the EDSA Shrine.
As of midnight on Monday, the crowd at both EDSA-Ortigas and EDSA-Shaw rendered both the northbound and southbound lanes of the following points on EDSA impassable:
- EDSA Ortigas
- EDSA Megamall
- Shaw underpass (one northbound lane passable)
- Shaw service roads
The southbound lane of EDSA's Timog flyover was also impassable due to heavy traffic.
Waving miniature versions of the red, white and green flag of their church, members of the Iglesia ni Cristo converged on the highway, some walking with umbrellas to protect them from driving rain.
Those in parked cars blew their horns in protest.
Shouting "Hustisya" (Justice), protesters raised placards calling on the government to uphold religious freedom.
An influential group which politicians have courted in the past because its members are known to follow their leaders' advice and vote as a bloc, the Iglesia ni Cristo is facing its biggest crisis after a dismissed minister filed an illegal detention case with the Department of Justice department that could lead to the arrest of its leaders.
Discussing developments
As this happened, President Benigno Aquino III held a meeting with his Cabinet members late Sunday night at his residence at Bahay Pangarap.
Presidential Communications Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III posted several pictures of the meeting.
Seen in the posted pictures were Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, Social Welfare Sec. Dinky Soliman, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Ronald Llamas, Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda, Justice Secretary Leila De Lima, and Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma, among others.
Roxas later confirmed that the group met to discuss the Iglesia ni Cristo rally.
He had earlier met with Abalos and Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Francis Tolentino to discuss how to deal with the situation at EDSA. — with a report by Reuters/JDS/JST/DVM, GMA News
"Mensahe ko po sa kapulisan: pinapahintulutan ko po sila for humanitarian reasons, magpatila sa Mandaluyong," Abalos said on the stage where the Iglesia had been holding performances through the night.
He said that he would personally escort the Iglesia ni Cristo members to Manila in the morning, where he would hand them over to Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada.
"Kaya po mamayang umaga, kung sakali mang maayos ang paglipat sa Maynila, di na din po ako matutulog. Sasamahan ko kayo," he said.
Manila earlier issued a rally permit for the protesters until Sept. 4.
However, Iglesia spokesperson Edwil Zabala told Super Radyo dzBB's James Agustin that, though the protesters were definitely going to leave the EDSA-Shaw corner, with their members prohibited from staying there after Monday noon, it was still unclear if they would take their protest to Manila.
INC Edwil Zabala: Aalis kami sa EDSA-Shaw Blvd. pagsikat ng araw pero depende pa kung pupunta sa Maynila. @dzbb pic.twitter.com/Ve6IOYGo6s
— James Agustin ??? (@_jamesagustin) August 30, 2015Church members began their mass action last Thursday at the Department of Justice compound to protest what they say is special treatment in a complaint filed by an expelled minister who has accused church leaders of illegally detention and harassment.
They moved their protest to EDSA on Friday.
Church members say it is an internal matter and have been calling on the government to uphold "the separation of church and state", a Constitutional principle that bars the government from passing laws to establish a state religion or to prohibit the exercise of any religion.
EDSA paralyzed
Citing figures from the Eastern Police District, dzBB Super Radyo reported at 1:50 a.m., Monday that there were 20,200 protesters—10,200 protesters at the corner of EDSA and Shaw Boulevard, 5,000 at the Megamall, and 5,000 at the EDSA Shrine.
As of midnight on Monday, the crowd at both EDSA-Ortigas and EDSA-Shaw rendered both the northbound and southbound lanes of the following points on EDSA impassable:
- EDSA Ortigas
- EDSA Megamall
- Shaw underpass (one northbound lane passable)
- Shaw service roads
The southbound lane of EDSA's Timog flyover was also impassable due to heavy traffic.
Waving miniature versions of the red, white and green flag of their church, members of the Iglesia ni Cristo converged on the highway, some walking with umbrellas to protect them from driving rain.
Those in parked cars blew their horns in protest.
Shouting "Hustisya" (Justice), protesters raised placards calling on the government to uphold religious freedom.
An influential group which politicians have courted in the past because its members are known to follow their leaders' advice and vote as a bloc, the Iglesia ni Cristo is facing its biggest crisis after a dismissed minister filed an illegal detention case with the Department of Justice department that could lead to the arrest of its leaders.
Discussing developments
As this happened, President Benigno Aquino III held a meeting with his Cabinet members late Sunday night at his residence at Bahay Pangarap.
Presidential Communications Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III posted several pictures of the meeting.
Seen in the posted pictures were Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, Social Welfare Sec. Dinky Soliman, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Ronald Llamas, Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda, Justice Secretary Leila De Lima, and Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma, among others.
Roxas later confirmed that the group met to discuss the Iglesia ni Cristo rally.
He had earlier met with Abalos and Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Francis Tolentino to discuss how to deal with the situation at EDSA. — with a report by Reuters/JDS/JST/DVM, GMA News
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