TARLAKENYO (Nov. 18, 2025) – In a massive display of people power, the influential Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) concluded a shortened two-day protest at the Quirino Grandstand on Monday, drawing hundreds of thousands to demand accountability in a multi-billion peso flood control corruption scandal that has implicated top government officials.
Dubbed the “Rally for Transparency and a Better Democracy,” the peaceful gathering saw an estimated 650,000 attendees on its first day and 600,000 on the second, according to the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office. Wearing white shirts emblazoned with their slogan, members filled Rizal Park, calling for a swift and impartial investigation.
Church: “Not a Political Event”
INC leadership consistently framed the rally as a civic, not political, action. Spokesman Edwil Zabala emphasized that the goal was not to destabilize the government. “We are not fighting the government. It is not our aim to bring down the government as an institution,” he stated, pushing back against attempts to label the protest as destabilization.
Echoing this sentiment, INC General Evangelist Bienvenido Santiago Jr. said, “This is our exercise of our right to freely express ourselves. The Church of Christ joins fellow citizens concerned about corruption… We stand united with Filipinos across the country and the world in calling for transparency, accountability, and peace.”
“Turtle-Like Pace” Draws Ire
Despite assurances from Malacañang, frustration with the speed of the official probe was a central theme. INC minister Rommel Topacio criticized the “seemingly turtle-like pace” of the investigation, noting that “none of the big personalities… were given punishment such as imprisonment,” a statement that spurred the crowd into chants of “Jail them!”
Senator Rodante Marcoleta, a speaker at the rally, pointed to a lack of transparency in the inquiries conducted by the Ombudsman and the President’s own Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).
Palace and Political Firestorms
The Palace responded to the protests with assurances. Communications Secretary Dave Gomez stated, “We hear them, we feel them, and we will not disappoint them. We will fulfill their call for accountability and transparency.”
However, the rally was disrupted by political fissures. The INC reportedly barred pro-Duterte groups from joining to maintain a non-political stance. The event took a dramatic turn when Senator Imee Marcos, the President’s sister, used her speaking slot to make unsubstantiated claims about the President and First Lady having a “lingering drug habit.”
In response, Palace press officer Claire Castro called it a “desperate move,” questioning, “What was Senator Imee’s reason to demolish her own brother?” This incident highlighted the deep political tensions surrounding the scandal.
The Propaganda War Behind the Scenes
Beyond the rally grounds, a fierce narrative battle is being waged. Analysts like Gerry Cacanindin argue that pro-Duterte propagandists are systematically targeting “Kakampinks” (supporters of the previous administration’s opposition) to achieve several political goals.
According to this viewpoint, the attacks aim to unify the fractured Marcos-Duterte alliance by creating a common enemy, rehabilitate Sara Duterte’s image for a 2028 presidential bid by painting her supporters as the “reasonable middle,” and shift blame away from the Duterte faction’s role in the current administration’s failures. Cacanindin describes this not as random criticism, but a coordinated “narrative strategy” to redefine the political battlefield.
A Nation’s Anger
The scandal, first revealed by President Marcos Jr. in July during his SONA, involves an audit showing that thousands of flood control projects since 2022 were “substandard, poorly documented, or non-existent,” amounting to 545 billion pesos ($9.63 billion). The issue resonates deeply in a country plagued by deadly typhoons, which have recently killed hundreds.
The President has promised arrests before Christmas, with 37 suspects already facing criminal complaints. However, as the INC rally made clear, for hundreds of thousands of Filipinos, justice cannot come soon enough.
