Unity and harmony will be the message when the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) religious group’s tricolor with a golden menorah at its center dominates major cities, including Metro Manila, on Monday in a show of its force.

There will be no political agenda on the rare occasion that more than 1 million INC members will congregate on the metropolis’s streets.

Rodante Marcoleta, Sagip Partylist representative and an INC member, underscored that the rally for peace will send a powerful and unwavering call for “unity.”

In an online interview, Marcoleta affirmed that the INC remains neutral in the ongoing political battle between President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte. He disputed suggestions that the rally was organized in support of Duterte.

“The INC would not take sides. The INC would like to see people like the Vice President and the President work together,” Marcoleta said, adding that such collaboration is the essence of good governance.

The political tension between Marcos and Duterte has dominated the news in recent months. Recently, the President removed the Vice President and her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, as well as other former presidents from the National Security Council (NSC).

On 30 December, Marcos signed Executive Order (EO) 81 highlighting the need to ensure the NSC’s resilience and adaptability to both domestic and international challenges.

In the EO, Marcos emphasized that NSC members must “uphold and protect the national security and sovereignty, thereby fostering an environment conducive to effective governance and stability.”

Last month, the Vice President in a vitriolic video message said she had arranged for the assassination of the President, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and Speaker Martin Romualdez if she were killed.

Despite the ongoing tension, Marcoleta explained the purpose of the INC rally.

“I think it’s simply a peace rally. It’s a rally for peace, that’s all. The INC wants to send a message to the nation that peace is crucial for achieving development and progress,” he said.

“Because the INC believes that peace can only be achieved by uniting our people, and this unity can best be demonstrated by our leaders,” he added.

30K joining in Mindanao

At least 30,000 INC members in Northern Mindanao, arriving in 2,000 vehicles, are expected to converge on the rally site at Divisoria Park in Cagayan de Oro City, city police and officials announced Saturday.

Nonito Oclarit, head of the city Road and Traffic Administration, said the attendance was conveyed by INC leaders during a meeting with city police officials.

According to the INC, 30,000 of their members from Lanao del Norte, Bukidnon, Camiguin, Misamis Oriental and Misamis Occidental will begin arriving Sunday night.

Oclarit said the INC initially requested the closure of all roads, but it was finally agreed that some roads would remain open during the mass gathering.

The 2,000 marked vehicles of the INC will be parked at Rio de Oro Boulevard to prevent traffic congestion in the city.

The Cagayan de Oro Police Office (COCPO) will deploy Special Weapons and Tactics teams and crowd dispersal units, which will be on standby for any eventuality.

Nick Jabagat, head of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said medical teams would also be deployed during the event.

INC city minister Arnulfo Jurado earlier assured that the mass gathering would be peaceful and orderly, adding that similar rallies would be carried out in key regions across the country.

A source told DAILY TRIBUNE that the main rally would be held at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila, with delegations from the National Capital Region and Central Luzon expected to participate.

Rallies will be held in Davao City for Southern Mindanao, Butuan City for the Caraga Region, Cebu, Ormoc, Tacloban, Palawan and the Ilocos Region.

The source said a support group will rally in the United States and other parts of the world. It said that other groups advocating for peace would hold their mass actions to dramatize their calls.

300-K Cebuanos taking part

Meanwhile, more than 300,000 Cebuanos are expected to join the INC rally, this was announced on Friday by Cebu gubernatorial candidate Pamela Baricuatro during a press conference.

Baricuatro, the Cebu convenor of Hakbang Ng Maisug-Cebu, expressed her support for the INC initiative. She noted the INC has provided buses to transport participants from various cities and municipalities across Cebu.

Peter Tiu Lavina of Hakbang Ng Maisug said the rally in Cebu City will take place at the South Road Properties at around 3 p.m.

He said the rally is open to everyone, particularly those who supported the Vice President in the 2022 elections.

“Our estimate is 300,000 in Cebu alone, but we are mobilizing the province and surrounding areas. The INC is providing buses for those who want to come into the city and join the rally,” Baricuatro said.

Lavina added that while the rally may attract political aspirants, they will not be allowed to speak during the event and will be prohibited from campaigning for the upcoming elections.

“I think many will come, especially politicians seeking election in 2025. Because of the bloc voting by the INC, they also prefer to be in the INC lineup,” Lavina said.

INC personnel attending the rally are expected to wear white t-shirts, while Vice President Duterte’s supporters are encouraged to wear green and black.

Baricuatro clarified that the rally is not intended to oppose the Marcos administration but aims to defend Vice President Duterte and counter the impeachment initiative against her.

MMDA mobilized

Around 1,300 traffic enforcers from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) have been mobilized for deployment for the rally which is expected to draw a massive crowd of at least one million, prompting the MMDA to enforce a strict “no day-off” and “no-absent” policy for its personnel.

Traffic enforcers will assist motorists starting Sunday evening, the night before the event.

In preparation for the rally, several roads in Manila will be closed starting at 4 a.m. on Monday. The affected areas include Katigbak Drive, South Drive, Independence Road, and both the northbound and southbound lanes of Roxas Boulevard from Katigbak Drive to UN Avenue.

Other roads to be closed are Bonifacio Drive from Katigbak Drive to Anda Circle, P. Burgos Avenue from Victoria Street to Roxas Boulevard, Ma. Orosa Street from P. Burgos Avenue to UN Avenue, Finance Road from P. Burgos Avenue to Taft Avenue, the Gen. Luna Roundtable, and Kalaw Avenue from Taft Avenue to Roxas Boulevard.

To minimize inconvenience, motorists are advised to follow the designated alternative routes. Vehicles from the southbound lane of Roxas Boulevard, A. Mabini Street and Ma. Orosa Street intending to use Kalaw Avenue should turn right onto UN Avenue. Trucks and trailers traveling northbound from Osmeña Highway to Mel Lopez Boulevard (Pier Area) should turn right onto President Quirino Avenue, continue to Mabini Bridge, and proceed to their destination.

Vehicles from Ayala Boulevard intending to use Finance Road straight to P. Burgos Avenue are advised to turn left onto Taft Avenue. Those coming from the Jones, MacArthur, and Quezon Bridges intending to access P. Burgos Avenue toward Roxas Boulevard should take Lagusnilad straight to Taft Avenue.