Mega church Iglesia ni Cristo gathers in Manila to protest Philippine corruption

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Members of religious group Iglesia ni Cristo at an anti-corruption protest in Manila on Nov 16.

PHOTO: AFP

MANILA – Thousands of members of an influential religious group started gathering in Manila on Nov 16 for a rally to call for accountability in the Philippine government over a widening corruption scandal.

Iglesia ni Cristo members, wearing white shirts, assembled in the historic Quirino Grandstand and nearby streets in Manila city. Police estimated the crowd at 14,500 as of 8am. Some camped out overnight for a programme expected to start late in the afternoon.

The Christian religious group earlier said it’s not fighting the government, and that it’s a peaceful movement against corruption. The mega church holds political clout as it’s known for endorsing candidates and voting as a bloc during elections.

There is mounting pressure on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s government to immediately prosecute those involved in corruption

related to flood infrastructure funds

Tension escalated on Nov 15 as former congressman Zaldy Co accused Marcos of receiving 25 billion pesos (S$550 million) in kickbacks from 100 billion pesos of project spending the president had allegedly ordered to be included in the 2025 budget. The allegations were aired in a multipart video released by Mr Co over the last two days.

The accusation is “a lie, propaganda,” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a video statement on Nov 15. The president said he doesn’t “want to even dignify” what the ex-lawmaker is saying,