Manila (dpa) – Hundreds of thousands of members of a Philippine religious group gathered around the country Tuesday for prayer rallies that some observers noted were a show of political force. An estimated 200,000 members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church of Christ) congregation packed the Quirino Grandstand in Manila, where three major roads were closed for the event. Hundreds of thousands of members also joined rallies in 18 other locations around the country, police said. The 3-million-strong group, whose support is often sought by politicians during elections because it is known to practice block-voting, said the gathering was a “Bible exposition” aimed at propagating their faith. President Benigno Aquino III said he was invited to the event, but decided not to attend to avoid giving political color to what was supposed to be a religious event. “There are others who are saying that there is a political dimension here,” he said, but added that the group had clearly said the gatherings were simply “part of their religious obligations.” But the president's advisors had told him that his presence “might give a political tinge to the whole event which detracts from the religious intention of this activity,” Aquino said. The religious group, which broke from the Roman Catholic Church in the early 20th century, supported Aquino during his campaign for the presidency in 2010. But there were rumors that the relationship has soured because the congregation has expressed support for Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, who has been impeached by Congress and is on trial in the Senate for alleged bias and corruption. The rally in Manila caused heavy traffic with thousands of vehicles parked on the streets. Government offices, schools and business establishments closed early for the day, but thousands of commuters were still stranded for hours on their way home. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/KBL4Z Tags: Christians, Iglesia Ni Cristo, Philippines, Protest Section: East Asia, Religion
