MANILA, Philippines — The “National Rally for Peace” by the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) has no effect on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s position on the impeachment cases against Vice President Sara Duterte, Malacañang said Tuesday.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said in a statement that the President’s “position on the impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives has not changed.” Marcos said that he did not support the impeachment of Duterte as it would not benefit the Filipino people.
“This is not important. This does not make any difference to even one single Filipino life. So, why waste time on this?” the President said.
“What will happen if somebody files an impeachment? It will tie down the House, it will tie down the Senate. It will just take up all our time and for what? For nothing, for nothing. None of this will help improve a single Filipino life,” he added.
On Monday, more than a million members of the INC gathered in a rally at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila to call for peace and unity amid steps to unseat Duterte through impeachment.
The rally came amid political tensions, as at least three impeachment complaints have been filed against the vice president at the House, following legislative inquiries into her alleged misuse of confidential funds.
In a statement on Monday, Bersamin expressed hope that the INC peace rally would help clarify issues and contribute to real unity.
He said peaceful assembly was a “bedrock right guaranteed by our Constitution” that the current administration consistently upholds.
“We do not doubt that today’s gatherings will be peaceful, orderly, and meaningful,” Bersamin said in a statement.
“Above all, we hope the opinions expressed will help clarify issues facing our country and lead us to the true unity we long for,” he added.
INC, estimated to have more than two million members, carries significant weight in the country because its members tend to vote as a block and it is often courted by politicians.
The sect could decide the outcome of closely contested congressional and local government posts in the midterm elections on May 12.
INC supported the candidacy of Marcos and Duterte during the 2022 national elections.
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