NOT SHOW OF FORCE / TRAFFIC SNARLED
MANILA, MARCH 1, 2012 (CATHOLIC
NEWS) SECURITY was tight as tens of thousands Iglesia ni Cristo (INC)
members flocked to Manila yesterday from nearby provinces for a gathering dubbed
a "grand evangelical mission."
As of 3 p.m. (0700 GMT) Tuesday, police estimated the crowd to have swelled
to almost 150,000. Authorities kept watch from a distance as buses carrying INC
members arrived as early as 2 a.m.
National police spokesman Agrimero Cruz early yesterday said authorities
expected the crowd to reach a million participants.
The INC, considered the largest ethnic Christian organization in the
Philippines, boasts a membership of two million, though pollsters estimate
actual membership at about 1.5 million.
INC leaders denied newspaper reports that the event was a show of political
force by the sect.
"This religious activity is one of the means by which the Church propagates
the teachings of God in the Bible," said spokesperson Bienvenido Santiago.
News reports, however, quoted an INC insider saying that the event is "more
than just a grand evangelical mission."
The source said it is also meant to serve as a message to President Benigno
Aquino and his allies that the INC was "not happy" with how Aquino had been
running the government.
Report from ucanews.com
FROM MALAYA
INC prayer rally snarls traffic BY GERARD NAVAL
[PHOTO - Traffic nightmare. At least 600,000 Iglesia ni Cristo members
joined the grand evangelical mission at the Luneta Grandstand. Photo BY JONAS SULIT]
THE Iglesia ni Cristo said the Grand Evangelical Mission it held yesterday is
meant to preach the Word of God, and not to show support to anyone.
INC spokesman Bienvenido Santiago belied reports that the gathering was meant
as a show of force for Chief Justice Renato Corona who is facing an impeachment
trial and whose defense team is led by an INC member, former justice Serafin
Cuevas.
"Hindi ito para sa kaninong tao kundi para sa kapurihan ng Panginoong Diyos,
para sa kaligtasan ng lahat ng tao na sasampalataya sa aral ng Diyos na
ipangangaral namin," he said at the sidelines of the event at the Quirino
Grandstand in Manila.
The event at the grandstand, which started at 5 p.m., had gathered at least
600,000 members as of 6:45 p.m., according to the Manila Police District.
The program proper ended a few minutes before 7 p.m. but traffic in the area
and surrounding areas was still heavy at around 9 p.m.
Traffic in several parts of Metro Manila was snarled even before noon.
Santiago said the event was a purely evangelical gathering that will involve
their members as well as guests.
"Siguro masasabi natin na nagkataon lang yun," he said referring to the
political angle the event has generated over the past few days.
"Ito ay isang purely religious gathering. At hindi katulad na sabi ng iba, at
gaya ng nakikita ngayon, ang mga kapatid natin na naririto, kasama ang panauhing
inimbita para makapakining sa salita ng Diyos na aming sinasamplataya," he
added.
Corona did not attend the gathering despite an invitation.
He heeded the advice of Supreme Court justices and some friends who said he
"might just be accused of using this (event) for political purposes, although
all justices were invited," said SC spokesman and administrator Jose Midas
Marquez.
The INC has not officially declared support for Corona but some members have
locked horns with the administration of President Aquino who wants Corona ousted
from the tribunal.
Ironically, the group which is known for its bloc voting during elections,
made a last-minute endorsement of Aquino in the 2010 elections.
Aquino, at the sidelines of the 4th National Congress on the Coordinating
Council of Private Educational Associations at the UST, said everyone was
invited but he had been advised that his presence might give a political color
to the event.
"Ang pagkasabi ho sa akin lahat imbitado dito dahil, hindi ba, parang ito nga
iyung part of the evangelization work? Although at the same time parang may
pinarating naman na my presence might make, give a political tinge to the whole
event which detracts from the religious intention of this activity," he said.
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda the other day said as far as they know,
there had been no formal invitation sent to Malacañang or Cabinet members.
Asked about reports that the INC gathering was a show of support for Corona,
Aquino said the administration has its own supporters.
"How about the number who are supportive of our efforts? I think you should
also mention that. Pero huwag natin kalimutan, pinaaalala rin sa atin 2014 marks
their centennial…These are the building actions towards that very grand event
that they want. So there are others who are saying that there is a political
dimension here. Their official communication to us is this is part of their
religious obligations and part of their faith," he said.
Aquino reiterated he has a good relationship with the INC.
"I was supported by the church in 2010 and also in '07 so nandoon iyung
'thank you.' I am sure that they have been partners like when I was still a
congressman in Tarlac…iyung mga cleanliness drives, iyung a lot of their warm
bodies on the street actually performing for the members of their church," he
said.
Santiago reiterated there is nothing irregular with the gathering as they
have been doing this for many years.
Similar grand evangelical missions were conducted at the Quezon Memorial
Circle in 1995 and at the Amoranto Stadium in 1996.
He explained that similar gatherings have been conducted in the past,
majority of which were held on a smaller scale.
Santiago said even the reported invitation to political figures was just
incidental as the INC leadership did not send invitations.
The invitations were made by members. "Hindi organization ang nagi-invite.
Mas episyente kung members ang nagi-invite," he said.
Among those who attended were Marquez, Pangasinan Rep. Gina de Venecia,
sacked NBI director Magtanggol Gatdula, Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista,
former senator Ernesto Maceda, Navotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco, former senator Juan
Miguel Zubiri, and Laguna Gov. Emilio Ramon Ejercito.
The event was marked by hymn singing from a choir, prayers, and a two-part
sermon from preachers.
The Quirino Grandstand was just one of 20 venues for the evangelical mission,
the INC said Monday. The grandstand was for members from Metro Manila, Bulacan
and the Calabarzon region.
Among other areas where similar gatherings were held were the provinces of
Isabela, Tarlac and La Union and the cities of Bacolod, Cebu, Tacloban, Cagayan
de Oro City and Davao.
Bus loads of INC members came from Metro Manila as well as the province of
Bulacan and the Calabarzon Region as early as 6 a.m.
Traffic was snarled on roads leading to the grandstand.
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Francis Tolentino said
public and private vehicles ferrying INC members started arriving as early as
Monday night to early morning Tuesday.
Tolentino said the MMDA set parking areas at the north wing of the Quirino
Grandstand, and another at the South Drive from Roxas Boulevard to Independence
Road for those with car passes.
However, hundreds of vehicles parked in the area and occupied lanes of Roxas
Boulevard and secondary streets near the Quirino Grandstand, resulting in
traffic problems.
In an advisory on its Twitter account, the MMDA said. "Yung mga nag-park po
kasi umabot na hanggang Cuneta Astrodome ang nasasakop ng INC vehicle kaya
sinara muna natin yung portion ng area sa traffic." – With
Evangeline de Vera, Jocelyn Montemayor and Ashzel Hachero
Chief News Editor: Sol
Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE
NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS
ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/phnotweet
This is the PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE (PHNO) Mailing List.
To stop receiving our news items, please send a blank e-mail addressed to: phno-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Please visit our homepage at: http://www.newsflash.org/
(c) Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
-------------------------------------------------------------Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/phno/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/phno/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
phno-digest@yahoogroups.com
phno-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
phno-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
