MANILA, Philippines – The online community welcomed the decision of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) to end its 5-day protest Monday morning, August 31. But calls for transparency are growing.
They gathered outside the Department of Justice starting Thursday, then transferred to EDSA-Mandaluyong on Friday evening, where they stayed until Monday morning, when their central church told them to pack up. This was after a meeting in Malacañang that lasted until 1 am where authorities decided how to deal with the rallies.
INC members in the Philippines and other parts of the world claimed they were vindicated and stood united despite the online backlash their powerful homegrown church suffered since the protests started on August 27. (READ: INC members block reported De Lima van)
Sa mga bashers ng INC diyan, THANKYOU SA TIME AND EFFORTS NIYO. Worth it naman,We got our justice!
#IglesiaNiCristo #INCVictory
— JanNikowl♡ (@_JanNicoleCrls) August 31, 2015
Itatanyag ng muli ang kanyang Iglesia.. #IglesiaNiCristo #INCVictory
What was the agreement?
But others are asking: Why are INC followers claiming victory?
Many netizens also want to know what transpired during the talks between the government and INC. While Malacañang said there was no deal reached with the INC, those on social media demand to know what kind of “understanding” was reached between the government and INC.
Per reports, the gov't and INC has agreed upon "something" and they'll be ending their rally. May we know what's the agreement all about?
On Facebook, Nehemias Vidal asked: “Is the agreement advantageous to the INC? The people are entitled to know!”
Rex Dizon, another Facebook user, was as probing: “What is the agreement? Baka gobyerno ang sumuko! (The government might have caved in) We are entitled to know!”
Many netizens demand answers because the powerful INC mobilized its members to protest the government’s probe of an illegal detention case filed by its expelled minister Isaias Samson against current members of the church’s council. (READ: INC expels minister who alleged house arrest)
The agreement better go along the lines of – the investigation will push through.
Posted by Dominic Gabriel Go on Sunday, 30 August 2015
Despite earlier claims by the INC that its talks with the government resulted in an “agreement,” Palace spokesperson Undersecretary Abigail Valte insisted “(t)here was no deal struck, as some insinuate.” (READ: Compromises to end protests? ‘No deal’ with INC – Palace)
From Padre Faura to EDSA, INC protesters asserted their interpretation of the constitutional provision on the separation of church and state. This reverberated in other parts of the country where the INC also mobilized.
But for lawyer Tony La Viña, Dean of the Ateneo School of Government, the mass demonstrations were a political battle that INC wrongly waged. (READ: INC’s defeat: Actualizing separation of church and state):
“The INC’s EDSA-Shaw show of defiance is not so much for religious autonomy, as it is for political relevance. Presidential candidates must continue to pay homage at the INC main temple in Commonwealth, and this puny Secretary of Justice cannot be allowed to ruin the great church that the prophet Felix Manalo has built from the ground by showing that public officials can ignore the INC and still occupy powerful government positions.”
one good thing about the INC rally is that it showed the candidates' true colors.kunsinti pa more ang iba.others,quiet,takot mawalan boto.
Broken mystique and power
For JP Alipio, the influence of INC will never be the same again after this episode. He wrote on Facebook:
“This is an interesting time for their church. Everything will change. Businesses that traditionally prefer them to others are now thinking twice as the preference was based on the fact that they do not rally or join unions, but they now realize that they can be held hostage if they so desire to and that is more dangerous than any labor union. For politicians the mystique and power of the organization is now broken as they realize that there are more Filipinos who see them as a threat to the nation and that can be extremely damaging politically.”
Others are calling for accountability, saying that the protest was not only a cause of inconvenience to motorists and commuters. It was also “a disgrace to the use of protest action,” according to political scientist Joy Aceron, who observed it was used for personal vested interests:
I am sharing this too not only because it is heart-breaking, but it's a good starting point of reflection on how the…
Posted by Joy Aceron on Sunday, 30 August 2015
On Friday night, August 28, the INC protest caused a monstrous traffic jam in the metro, enraging commuters, motorists, and netizens who took to social media to express their anger ang exhaustion.
What do you think of the INC demands and action? How did you find the government’s response? Tag @moveph on Twitter or visit MovePH’s Facebook page to continue the conversation. – Rappler.com
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