Without prior notice to authorities, a massive wave of Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) members flooded EDSA near the People Power Monument in Quezon City on the morning of Tuesday, June 30, in a spontaneous show of solidarity for Senator Rodante Marcoleta. The senator faces a non-bailable plunder charge before the Sandiganbayan linked to P75 million in campaign donations — a case the church denounced as politically motivated. The unannounced action caused significant traffic disruption across major thoroughfares, triggered road closures, and ended with multiple arrests after protesters clashed with police.
A Crowd That Grew Faster Than Police Could Respond
What began as an early-morning trickle quickly ballooned into one of the more dramatic mass mobilizations Manila has seen in recent years. The Quezon City Police District placed the number of demonstrators at roughly 7,000 by 6:45 a.m. That figure jumped to an estimated 9,000 by 9 a.m., and by 10 a.m., the Philippine National Police (PNP) counted approximately 10,000 protesters concentrated along White Plains Avenue. Nearly 1,000 additional supporters had gathered separately at the EDSA Shrine in Ortigas and at Liwasang Bonifacio in the city of Manila, according to PNP reports.
NCRPO Director Maj. Gen. Anthony Aberin told reporters that intelligence about the planned mobilization only reached authorities at around midnight. Police began positioning personnel as early as 3 a.m. — but the crowd had already started arriving by 4 a.m., quickly outpacing the initial deployment of about 900 officers. By midmorning, the NCRPO had surged nearly 6,000 personnel along the EDSA corridor to manage the situation.
“Around 12 midnight, we received information about it, and we immediately prepared for deployment. We were able to deploy personnel as early as 3 a.m.; however, a large number of them arrived quickly and their numbers were overwhelming,” Aberin said in Filipino, as quoted in reports.
No Permits, No Coordination — Officials Blindsided
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Don Artes confirmed that neither his office nor Quezon City police had any foreknowledge of the gathering. “Sa amin po sa MMDA, wala pong pasabi, walang coordination,” Artes said, underscoring how completely the action caught local officials off guard. PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. monitored the operation throughout the morning, while the Department of the Interior and Local Government instructed officers to observe maximum tolerance toward protesters.
The MMDA subsequently closed White Plains Avenue and several EDSA segments in both Quezon City and Mandaluyong, and deployed towing crews to remove illegally parked vehicles compounding the congestion. The Department of Transportation, however, confirmed that EDSA Busway stations and MRT-3 rail services continued operating throughout the disruption, providing some relief to stranded commuters.
INC Decries “Selective Justice,” Stands Behind Marcoleta
The Iglesia ni Cristo officially confirmed the protest was organised in support of Marcoleta, whom the church identified as one of its members. In a Net 25 livestream, INC spokesperson Bro. Edwil Zabala articulated the church’s position, calling for “transparency, accountability, justice, and peace” and accusing the government of practising selective justice.
“The Iglesia ni Cristo supports what Senator Marcoleta stands for because it is also our position. We call for transparency, accountability, justice, and peace,” Zabala said in Filipino.
Zabala also argued that the plunder case was designed to silence Marcoleta. Because the charge is non-bailable, the senator would face detention for the entire duration of the trial, effectively removing him from his legislative duties. The INC further pointed to a Commission on Elections ruling that had reportedly found no violation in connection with Marcoleta’s acceptance of the campaign donations that form the basis of the current charge.
The Plunder Case: P75 Million in Donations Under Scrutiny
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla announced on Monday, June 29, that his office was filing a non-bailable plunder case against Marcoleta before the Sandiganbayan. The case centres on P75 million in campaign donations — an amount that state prosecutors said exceeds the P50-million threshold required under Republic Act No. 7080 for a charge of plunder to apply. Former lawmaker Mike Defensor, along with donors Aristotle Viray and Joseph Espiritu, were named as co-accused in the complaint.
Prosecutors added that the donations were not reflected in Marcoleta’s statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN). Marcoleta, for his part, has denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that the funds were private money already disbursed for election-related purposes before his SALN submission.
On the same day as the rally, Marcoleta alleged that the case filing was strategically timed to bar him from participating in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, which is scheduled to commence on July 6. “Another thing they are hoping for is that I will no longer be able to participate in the impeachment proceedings scheduled to begin next week. In other words, they are hitting two birds with one stone,” he said, as quoted in reports.
Buses Blockade EDSA Busway; Arrests Follow Confrontation
Tensions reached a flashpoint at around 8:30 a.m. when protesters manoeuvred buses to obstruct the northbound lanes of EDSA, including sections of the EDSA Carousel busway. The blockade prompted a confrontation with police, during which several individuals allegedly punched officers. A journalist from the Philippine Daily Inquirer who was on the scene reported witnessing at least three arrests by 9 a.m. As of midday, authorities had not yet disclosed the full number of people taken into custody or the charges they would face.
AFP Monitors Situation, Affirms Right to Assembly
The Armed Forces of the Philippines said NCR-based military units were coordinating with the PNP and other government agencies to monitor developments. AFP Public Affairs Office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad said in a statement that the military respects citizens’ constitutional right to peaceful assembly, while stressing that all public gatherings must comply with existing laws and permit requirements. The AFP characterised itself as a “professional, non-partisan institution” and said the PNP retained the lead role in maintaining public order. Trinidad emphasised the AFP’s commitment to upholding public safety and the stability of democratic institutions.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. cancelled at least two official engagements — a marine litter management event and a luncheon with foreign correspondents — to personally monitor the evolving situation, Malacañang said. The President was reported to be tracking the welfare of commuters and workers affected by the rally-related road closures.
By the Numbers
- 7,000 — Estimated crowd at People Power Monument by 6:45 a.m., per the Quezon City Police District
- 9,000 — Estimated crowd count by 9 a.m.
- 10,000 — PNP estimate of demonstrators along White Plains Avenue by 10 a.m.
- ~1,000 — Additional protesters at EDSA Shrine in Ortigas and Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila
- ~6,000 — NCRPO personnel deployed along EDSA by midmorning
- P75 million — Total campaign donations at the center of Marcoleta’s plunder case
- P50 million — Legal threshold for plunder under Republic Act No. 7080
- July 6 — Scheduled start of Vice President Sara Duterte’s Senate impeachment trial
Why This Matters
The speed and scale of the INC mobilisation — tens of thousands reaching EDSA within hours of a midnight alert — exposed significant gaps in the capital’s event-monitoring and crowd-management systems, raising questions about how authorities prepare for unannounced mass actions. The rally converges with two separate but politically charged proceedings: a non-bailable plunder case filed by the Ombudsman and an imminent Senate impeachment trial that Marcoleta himself says his detention would prevent him from joining. The arrests of protesters and reported assaults on police officers further complicate what the INC framed as a peaceful call for justice, adding a potential criminal and constitutional dimension to an already tense political moment.
Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer
