MANILA – Thousands of Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) members held a surprise rally along EDSA and at Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila on Tuesday, June 30, to express support for Senator Rodante Marcoleta as he faces a looming plunder case before the Sandiganbayan.

The mass gathering, which started before dawn, caused heavy traffic along major EDSA stretches and forced the closure of White Plains Avenue, according to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA). Police estimated around 8,000 to 9,000 rallyists at the People Power Monument in Quezon City, with more than 2,000 others gathered at Liwasang Bonifacio.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla announced on Monday, June 29, that his office is set to file plunder and graft charges for allegedly receiving and failing to declare P75 million in unreported campaign contributions during the 2025 midterm elections against Marcoleta and former Quezon City Representative Mike Defensor before the anti-graft court. Because plunder is a non-bailable offense, Marcoleta would be detained immediately should the Sandiganbayan issue a warrant of arrest.

INC spokesperson Edwil Zabala, in a statement aired over the church-run network NET25, said the group was not against the rule of law but against what they described as selective justice.

"Hindi tutol ang INC sa pagpapatupad ng batas, pero tutol kami sa pagbaluktot sa batas, lalo na kung ang layunin ay para pagtakpan ang katiwalian," Zabala said. 

(The INC is not against the implementation of the law, but we are against bending the law, especially if the intent is to cover up corruption.)

Zabala added that the church would continue to call for accountability even if Marcoleta is jailed, saying selective justice is itself a form of injustice.

Marcoleta, for his part, accused the Ombudsman of orchestrating the case against him, claiming the timing was meant to keep him from taking part in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, set to begin on July 6.

The senator, an INC member and known Duterte ally, had chaired the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee's investigation into the flood control corruption scandal before he was replaced. 

INC has cited this as one reason for its show of support, saying it found it suspicious that Marcoleta, who led the probe into alleged anomalies, is now the one facing charges.

The Philippine National Police deployed around 900 personnel to manage the crowd and traffic at EDSA. NCRPO Director Major General Anthony Aberin said a confrontation broke out between rallyists and authorities trying to clear a bus lane, leaving one police officer injured. At least two individuals were arrested.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government directed the PNP to exercise maximum tolerance during the rally, in coordination with local government units.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. canceled two scheduled engagements on Tuesday — the inauguration of a marine litter management project in Manila Bay and a luncheon with the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines to monitor the situation, according to Presidential Communications Office officer-in-charge Dave Gomez.

Marcoleta's case adds to a string of legal troubles among Duterte allies in the Senate. Senator Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada was charged last month in connection with the flood control project scandal, while Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa remains in hiding after evading arrest under an International Criminal Court warrant tied to the previous administration's anti-drug campaign.

In November 2025, INC mobilized a much larger crowd, estimated in the hundreds of thousands, to call for accountability over the flood control controversy. 

The church had also staged a major rally in January 2025 opposing Duterte's first impeachment attempt, which was later voided by the Supreme Court before the House of Representatives impeached her again last month.

Duterte's Senate trial requires 16 votes out of 24 to convict and would result in her removal as vice president and a permanent ban from holding public office.

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