A political analyst suspects that the reason the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) did not seek a permit for their rally on Tuesday, June 30, is because they may not have been granted one, considering it is being held to stand against the charges filed against Senator Rodante Marcoleta, who, apart from being a member of their church, is viewed to be actively combating corruption.
“Will they be allowed? Will they be given, at least ‘yung relative permission needed for them to conduct this movement, when in fact, magiging maliwanag kasi roon, sa hinihingi mong permit kung ano ba ‘yung kadahilanan, because you cannot stage a rally without a rationale behind it,” Political analyst Professor Froilan Calilung said in an exclusive interview with DZRH.
Calilung said that the people can “only take so much” when the administration is proving to be arbitrary in who it chooses to prosecute.
“The root cause of this mass gathering right now is the implication of the filing of charges dito kay Senator Rodante Marcoleta, particularly, plunder case. Alam naman natin na Senator Rodante Marcoleta is a member of the Iglesia ni Cristo and on the other side kasi, the Iglesia is trying to amplify on the notion din naman that they are against corruption and that Senator Rodante Marcoleta is the one really taking the charge, taking the lead in fighting corruption,” he explained.
“All of a sudden, he is the one being silenced right now by weaponizing the law against him… so that he can be removed from the Senate,” he added.
The analyst said the state apparatus is being used against the very people it should be serving. It is currently being “weaponized” against individuals who are seeking justice for the public, he explained.
“It’s always geared toward what is politically convenient to the ruling administration, which is not supposed to be the case,” Calilung said.
Aside from the plunder case Marcoleta faces, the rallyists are also opposed to having former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan as a state witness, he said.
“How could you make somebody a state witness if we have yet to prove that he is not one of the most guilty?” the professor questioned.
Moreover, Calilung pointed out that the Office of the Ombudsman’s stance has been “flip-flopping,” leading Filipinos to believe that its decisions have been arbitrary instead of being based on verifiable facts and evidence.
“When you’re the Ombudsman, there’s really no room for errors, everything should actually be based on facts and evidence because you’re trying to uphold the law. And if this is the case, then I think the public will be really dismayed over how the Ombudsman is running the affairs,” he noted.
As of writing, thousands of protesters have gathered by the EDSA People Power Monument in Quezon City to back Marcoleta, who is set to face a plunder case before the Sandiganbayan.
According to reports, the non-bailable case was filed in connection with massive donations amounting to ₱75 million he allegedly accepted while serving as a congressman under the SAGIP Party-list.
