MANILA: More than a million members of an influential religious sect gathered in the Philippine capital on Monday (Jan 13), police said, opposing steps to unseat Vice President Sara Duterte.
Crowds wearing white shirts and carrying banners calling for unity flocked to Manila’s Quirino Grandstand for the “national rally for peace”, organised by the conservative Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ).
The powerful sect opposes moves to impeach Duterte, a former ally of President Ferdinand Marcos, in the House of Representatives.
“There are many more things which our citizens need that must be attended to. These will not be achieved if all we see taking place is conflict,” church spokesman Edwil Zabala said ahead of the rally.
Schools, government offices and major roads were closed for the event, as police estimated 1.6 million people had gathered at the grandstand.
John Carlo Guingab, who travelled 155km from his home in Tarlac province to attend the rally, waved a banner that read: “Put the country first, not the disagreements”.
“We are opposing the impeachment because that won’t bring any good. That’s useless for the country,” the 23-year-old told AFP.
More than 5,000 officers have been deployed, regional police spokeswoman Myrna Diploma told AFP.
Duterte is facing three impeachment cases, which accuse her of misusing millions of dollars in public funds and of plotting to have Marcos assassinated. She has denied the allegations.
Marcos’s executive secretary, Lucas Bersamin, described Monday’s rally as “part of the national conversation”.
Similar events were held at a dozen locations across the country, the church’s spokesman said.
Duterte thanked the INC for their “persistence to bring understanding and unity among the Filipino people”.
“This (rally) is a powerful testament of unity and faith, with the intention to bring peace for the progress of the country,” she said in a statement.
The INC, which is estimated to have more than two million members, carries significant weight in the Philippines because its members tend to vote as a block and it is often courted by politicians.
The sect could decide the outcome of closely contested congressional and local government posts in mid-term elections on May 12.
