By Rjay Zuriaga Castor
More than 30,000 members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) from Panay Island are set to join the group’s “Nationwide Rally for Peace” in Iloilo City on Jan. 13.
The Iloilo City Council approved an ordinance during its regular session Wednesday to temporarily close Muelle Loney and Zamora streets in the City Proper district on Monday.
A portion of the Baldoza-to-Loboc road was also designated as a parking area for vehicles coming from other Panay provinces.
Nomar Chavez told Daily Guardian that over 12,000 participants are expected from southern Iloilo, while around 4,000 members will come from northern Iloilo.
Antique will send a delegation of 4,000 members, while Aklan and Capiz will each have more than 5,000 attendees.
The event was organized as the INC’s show of support for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s stance opposing the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Marcos previously criticized the impeachment complaints, stating they were a “waste of time” and would not impact Filipinos’ lives.
Three impeachment complaints have been filed against Duterte, citing allegations of betrayal of public trust over the misuse of PHP 612 million in confidential funds.
The INC is widely known for its bloc-voting practice, where members vote as directed by church leadership. This unified voting strategy has made the INC a significant influence in Philippine elections.
The group’s bloc voting was instrumental in the 2022 presidential election, where the Marcos-Duterte “UniTeam” ticket secured a landslide victory with the INC’s endorsement.
With approximately 2.8 million members in the Philippines, the INC is the third-largest religious group in the country, following Roman Catholics and Muslims.
