The Mandaluyong City government has given permission to the Iglesia ni Cristo members to hold their protest rally at EDSA-Shaw Boulevard until Sunday.
In a phone interview with GMA News Online on Saturday, Mandaluyong local government public information officer Jimmy Isidro said a permit was issued to "contain" the protesters along the area.
"A permit was issued to contain them in one area," Isidro said. "Nilagay namin sa Crossing kasi may overpass doon, para ma-divert natin ang traffic, para walang traffic."
He also assured the public that traffic to Makati, Caloocan, and Pasig will not be affected in the scheme.
Meanwhile, Isidro noted that the crowd on Shaw Boulevard was estimated at 1,000 as of 9:30 a.m.
He also said that the local government has an "open communication" with the Iglesia ni Cristo heads.
"They are professional, sinusunod naman ang scope ng aming permit," he said. "Hindi rin sila nagkakalat, they clean up after themselves, walang problema.
The mass action began on Thursday in Manila, where thousands of Iglesia ni Cristo members spoke out against what they described as Justice Secretary Leila de Lima's meddling in the group's internal affairs.
The DOJ is looking into charges filed by former Iglesia ni Cristo minister Isaias Samson Jr. against the religious group's officials for allegedly detaining and harassing him and his family — an accusation denied by Iglesia ni Cristo officials.
On Friday, De Lima did not go to her DOJ office. She earlier said maintained that she was just doing her job in ordering an investigation on a complaint brought before them.
In Malacañang, Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma said the government is not meddling in the affairs of the Iglesia ni Cristo but is only making sure the country's laws are followed.
"Government's duty is to ensure that the laws of the land are complied with and does not wish to interfere in the internal affairs of any legitimate organization," Coloma said.
Protest moved to EDSA
On Friday afternoon, the protest moved to EDSA, with those who attended the protest in Manila marching to meet other members at the EDSA-Shaw intersection.
An earlier statement from the church said that Iglesia ni Cristo is merely defending religious freedom.
"Wala pong hangarin ang Iglesia ni Cristo na ipakita na higit siyang mataas sa estado kundi iginigiit lamang ang kanyang kalayaan o religious freedom at karapatan na ipagtanggol ang sarili laban sa anumang panggigipit at pagsikil sa karapatan, lalo na ng gobyerno, o ng mga nasa gobyerno," it said. — RSJ, GMA News
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