650k INC members stage 3-day anti-corruption rally 

Over 650,000 Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) followers gathered at Quirino Grandstand on Nov. 16 for the first day of a three-day protest, demanding accountability over alleged corruption in billions of pesos in government flood-control projects.

INC general evangelist Bienvenido Santiago Jr. explained that the rally calls for the elimination of graft and the establishment of a clean, accountable government serving the populace, not to initiate the administration’s downfall.

“We want to make it clear that this is not just about politics. This is our exercise of our right to…express ourselves. (We) join fellow citizens concerned about corruption and flood-control projects…by…government officials,” Santiago said during the opening program of the event.

He further stressed that the INC refuses to support any unconstitutional actions intended, such as revolution, a military takeover, calls for snap elections, or the formation of a civilian-military junta.

Many participants stayed overnight on the second day, Nov. 17, setting up camp and makeshift tents at the venue as authorities monitored security, health, and traffic across the city.

Some INC members also told the media they had been at the venue since Sunday and were prepared to stay until Nov. 18, citing unity and the church’s call against corruption as their motivation.

INC is a minority church with about 2.8 million members in the Philippines, known for bloc-voting in national elections, which supported eventual winners President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte in the 2022 elections.

It likewise endorsed Senators Joel Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada, both of whom have been implicated in alleged irregularities surrounding flood-control projects.

Previous INC rallies have also drawn massive crowds, including over a million participants at Luneta Park in January 2025 as part of their disagreement on the impeachment efforts against Duterte.