Day 3 of Iglesia Ni Cristo rally continues at Liwasang Bonifacio; organizers dispute police crowd estimate

Members of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) continued their gathering at Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila on Thursday, with police estimating the crowd at 2,570 as participants continued to arrive.

In a Super Radyo dzBB report, the Manila Police District (MPD) said 2,570 people had gathered at the rally as of 3 p.m.

Some participants, however, disputed the figure, saying reports that only around 1,000 to 2,000 people were present did not reflect the actual turnout.

To address what they described as an inaccurate number of the people at the gathering, organizers flew a camera-equipped drone over the venue, with some rallygoers saying the aerial footage would better show that Liwasang Bonifacio was already filled with people.

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Meanwhile, the report noted that the atmosphere at the venue remained peaceful, with musical performances and other entertainment continuing on a stage. Some attendees took selfies while others bought food, umbrellas, and handheld fans from vendors who flocked to the assembly.

It also noted the limited number of portable toilets available at the venue.

Traffic enforcers were deployed to manage both vehicles and pedestrians, preventing rally participants from spilling onto the roadway.

As of the time of the report, traffic along Lawton Avenue remained generally free-flowing despite the continuing arrival of more participants.

Earlier in the day, the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) placed the crowd at more than 8,000, significantly higher than the latest estimate released by the MPD. Authorities have yet to explain the discrepancy between the two crowd estimates. —Sherylin Untalan/RF, GMA News