The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) issued hundreds of citation tickets for illegally parked vehicles on EDSA on Wednesday, opting to enforce the parking regulation through its No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP) rather than tow the vehicles to avoid worsening the traffic and possible confrontations with the owners during the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) rally.

MMDA chairman Romando Artes said the authorities found numerous vehicles illegally parked on EDSA and nearby roads, including White Plains Avenue, during the religious gathering.

“In fact, we did not conduct towing operations yesterday, but we issued citation tickets under the No Contact Apprehension Policy because parking along EDSA and in several areas such as White Plains is prohibited,” Artes told reporters.

The agency was still consolidating the total number of violations, but Artes said the number was already in the hundreds.

Despite the widespread violations, Artes said towing was ruled out because it would have further worsened the traffic on Metro Manila’s busiest thoroughfare.

“There were simply too many vehicles. It would not have been effective if we kept towing them because that would only have caused more traffic,” he said.

Artes said MMDA personnel initially began towing illegally parked vehicles but suspended the operation after some owners confronted the enforcement teams.

“When we started, we were able to tow a few vehicles. But when we returned, some of the vehicle owners had become aggressive,” he said.

Rather than risk escalating tensions, the MMDA shifted to issuing citations.

The agency said it would continue to enforce no-parking regulations through the NCAP and warned motorists that vehicles illegally parked on major roads remain subject to penalties even without direct apprehension.

As of 3:45 p.m., the Quezon City Police District said around 6,000 rally participants had gathered along EDSA for the INC assembly.