Some INC members camp out at Luneta after INC rally ends

Some members of the Iglesia ni Cristo decided to spend the night at the grounds of the Quirino Grandstand even if the INC has already ended its rally for accountability amid the flood control scandal.

According to Jhomer Apresto's report on “Unang Balita,” some families camped out at the Luneta on Monday night instead of going home after the INC leadership announced that the protest is over.

“Wala lang kasi parang masaya lang, ganoon, parang nagkakasiyahan lang, oo susulitin din,” said Marilou Maravilla, a resident of Tondo, Manila.

(It seemed like fun, so we’re making the most out of it.)

“Marami pa rin naman kaming mga kasama na hindi sumabay sa dami ng daloy ng traffic, kaya ‘yung iba, nagpa-stay na rin sila para sa madaling araw, hindi siya masyadong ma traffic.”

(There are many others like us who chose not to go with the volume of traffic. Others chose to stay so that it wouldn’t be too traffic in the early morning.)

TINGNAN: Kahit natapos na ang Iglesia ni Cristo rally kahapon, marami pa rin ang piniling magpalipas ng gabi sa bahagi ng Quirino Grandstand sa Maynila. | via Jhomer Apresto/GMA Integrated News pic.twitter.com/rMm8MFQMq1

— GMA Integrated News (@gmanews) November 17, 2025

Others were just passing the time while waiting for their ride back home to the provinces.

Judilyn Javier’s family came from Cagayan Valley to attend the INC rally. They arrived in Manila on Sunday morning.

She told GMA Integrated News that they are just waiting for the vehicle that will take them home.

“Depende po sa traffic kung walang traffic po, nasa 14 to 15 hours po… Super worth it po yung pagbiyahe namin papunta dito, worth it naman po,” she said.

(It depends if there’s a traffic jam, our travel time usually takes 14 to 15 hours… The trip here was really super worth it, it’s worth it.)

On Tuesday, INC spokesperson Edwil Zabala said they decided to end their rally – initially set for three days – as they were able to send a message calling for transparency and accountability in government projects.

“It did not need three days to achieve the goal of sending the message that we are calling for justice, accountability, transparency, and peace,” Zabala said.

Earlier, INC general evangelist Bienvenido Santiago Jr. said the INC’s three-day protest is aimed at calling for concrete actions to end corruption in flood control projects and not the government’s downfall.

The Manila Police District said the crowd estimate for the INC rally reached 550,000 as of 8 p.m. Monday.

Upon the culmination of the rally, trucks immediately arrived to collect trash from the surroundings of the Quirino Grandstand.

However, the portion of Roxas Boulevard and Ayala Boulevard near the area remained closed to traffic. Recto Avenue going to Mendiola Bridge was also closed to traffic. — JMA, GMA Integrated News