Malacañang welcomes end of 'Iglesia ni Cristo' protest rally

Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda on Monday (Aug. 31) welcomed the decision of Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) members to end their five-day protest rally after a dialogue with the government.

Iglesia General Minister Bienvenido Santiago has issued a statement earlier, saying the dialogue had cleared up matters.

The five-day mass action was triggered by the illegal detention complaint filed by expelled minister Isaias Samson, Jr. before the Department of Justice against some members of the church council.

"Over the past few days, members of the Iglesia ni Cristo have gathered in key areas of Metro Manila. The mass action stems from their sentiments regarding a complaint filed by two of their members at the Department of Justice,” Lacierda said in a statement.

Noting that their protests involved a disagreement, Secretary Lacierda said the question is whether calmer heads would prevail to resolve the disagreement peacefully through mutual respect.

"This was an important consideration for the government: Just as it was important to protect the rights of all, ensure public safety, and minimize opportunities for sowing mayhem, we knew that a truly long-term solution involved engendering an atmosphere of dialogue, which will result in deescalating the situation that created tensions in the first place. We were resolved not to inflame passions, which could have given an opening to those with selfish agendas to further exacerbate conflict. Diplomacy therefore was an important tool in avoiding unintended consequences,” he further said.

Lacierda said the government appreciated the INC leadership for telling their members to leave their gathering sites.

“Through good will and the convergence of efforts, the rule of law has been upheld. We appreciate the INC leadership’s directives for the withdrawal of their members from their gathering sites. We are thankful that no serious injuries came about these past few days, and that the public can now prepare to go to work and to school on Tuesday (Sept. 1) as the long weekend draws to a close,” he concluded. (PCOO News Release)