President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said authorities have received information that individuals may attempt to infiltrate the ongoing Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) demonstrations to provoke violence.
Marcos made the statement before departing from Villamor Air Base for his four-day official visit to Canada.
The President said he remains confident that the INC rallies, organized to protest the impending filing of plunder charges against Sen. Rodante D. Marcoleta, will remain peaceful, citing the religious group’s track record of orderly mass gatherings.
‘Our only problem is that there is information that there are those who will infiltrate and agitate the demonstration. That is what we are concerned about,’ Marcos said in Filipino.
‘The most important thing for us is that no one gets hurt-whether they are members of Iglesia ni Cristo or anyone else who intends to create trouble,’ he added.
The INC has announced that its demonstrations will continue until July 3.
Despite the President’s confidence that the rallies will remain peaceful, security around Malacañang was tightened beginning Tuesday as thousands of INC members gathered in Quezon City.
Authorities further enhanced security on Wednesday by deploying additional personnel and installing barbed wire barriers and container vans along roads leading to Mendiola.
Marcos appealed to all parties to help ensure that the demonstrations remain peaceful and orderly.
‘So I thank everybody involved for keeping it safe for everyone,’ he said.
The INC, known for its practice of bloc voting during elections, endorsed the presidential bid of Marcos and his running mate, Vice President Sara Duterte, in the 2022 elections.
Meanwhile, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro urged INC members not to allow themselves to be used by individuals seeking to destabilize the government.