MANILA: More than a million members of an influential religious sect gathered in the Philippine capital on Monday, police said, opposing steps to unseat Vice President Sara Duterte. Crowds wearing white shirts flocked to Manila’s Quirino Grandstand for the “national rally for peace”, organized by the conservative Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), or Church of Christ. The powerful sect opposed moves to impeach Duterte, a former ally of President Ferdinand Marcos, in the House of Representatives.

“There are many more things which our citizens need that must be attended to. These will not be achieved if all we see taking place is conflict,” church spokesman Edwil Zabala said ahead of the rally.

Schools, government offices and major roads were closed for the event, as police estimated 1.6 million people had gathered at the grandstand. John Carlo Guingab, who travelled 155 kilometers (96 miles) from his home in Tarlac province to attend the rally, waved a banner that read: “Put the country first, not the disagreements”. “We are opposing the impeachment because that won’t bring any good. That’s useless for the country,” the 23-year-old told AFP.

Lawmaker Rodante Marcoleta, an INC member and Duterte ally, said in his speech that ousting the vice president can only cause political divide that could harm the nation.

“If a country is divided, it’s the people who will suffer,” Marcoleta said, garnering applause from the audience. More than 5,000 officers were deployed to secure the rally and mobile phone signals were blocked to prevent explosives being detonated remotely, regional police spokeswoman Myrna Diploma told AFP. Duterte is facing three impeachment cases, which accuse her of misusing millions of dollars in public funds and of plotting to have Marcos assassinated. She has denied the allegations.

Marcos’s executive secretary, Lucas Bersamin, described Monday’s rally as “part of the national conversation”. Similar events were held at a dozen locations across the country, the church’s spokesman said. 

Duterte thanked the INC for their “persistence to bring understanding and unity among the Filipino people”. “This (rally) is a powerful testament of unity and faith, with the intention to bring peace for the progress of the country,” she said in a statement. The INC, which is estimated to have more than two million members, carries significant weight in the Philippines because its members tend to vote as a block and it is often courted by politicians. The sect could decide the outcome of closely contested congressional and local government posts in mid-term on May 12. — AFP