Iglesia ni Cristo’s (INC) rally calling for “transparency, accountability, justice and peace,” has stirred intense debate online, not only because of its scale, but because of who is now calling for accountability. For many critics, the first instinct was to point out the irony that the same bloc known for endorsing BBM-Sara in 2022 is now protesting issues that have grown under that very administration.
But to stop there is to miss the real message, one that extends far beyond electoral history, reputation, or past political alignments. The rally, stripped to its core, was an attempt to reclaim a moral stance in a political environment that feels increasingly uncertain.
For INC, this is not simply about defending an internal grievance; it’s a public declaration that something in the country’s governance is no longer acceptable. And whether or not one agrees with the church’s past decisions, the message they are putting forward today deserves to be understood, not dismissed.
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More Than Reputation: A Shift in What INC Is Willing to Tolerate
There is no denying that INC has been the subject of online flak. Many have pointed out the contradiction, asking how can a group that campaigned for BBM-Sara suddenly rally against abuses of power linked to the same ecosystem? Their endorsement helped bring the administration into office, an administration now mired in controversies, including the widening flood control corruption scandal where the names of Zaldy Co and, by proximity, BBM have been dragged into public scrutiny.
But perhaps this is where the shift begins. If anything, the rally signaled a recognition, however delayed, that political endorsements do not exempt leaders from moral expectations. Even institutions once aligned with power are starting to see the consequences of supporting officials who fail to demonstrate the integrity they promised.
When Silence Becomes Its Own Statement
What makes the rally even more striking is the response from Malacañang, or rather, the lack of it. The Palace has remained conspicuously silent, a notable contrast given INC’s once-reliable support for BBM. Silence, in this case, feels like an acknowledgment of strain, a quiet admission that the political relationship has changed.
But the silence also speaks to something larger, an administration increasingly out of sync with the public pulse. While INC’s rally was about their internal concerns, the symbolism expands outward. It reflects a shared national impatience toward institutions that evade transparency, toward leaders who do not confront crises head-on, and toward a system that appears more interested in preserving power than earning trust.
United In Sentiment
At its heart, INC’s protest is a call for accountability. Not selective accountability, but accountability at the highest reaches of power, precisely where the public feels it has been missing. People can debate the church’s past decisions, but the present message stands on its own, that the demand for good governance transcends political baggage.
And if a bloc known for its disciplined voting and political influence is now saying ‘enough,’ then it mirrors a sentiment growing nationwide. Filipinos are hungry for a government that is clean, honest, transparent, and anchored on service rather than self-preservation.
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