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The Philippine National Police on Wednesday said it is not considering dispersing the ongoing Iglesia ni Cristo gathering at the EDSA People Power Monument even if its rally permit expires Wednesday night.
In an interview on Balitanghali, Police Major General Anthony Aberin, National Capital Region Police Office chief, said the permit issued by the Quezon City Government is valid only until 8 p.m., but noted that it carries a provision allowing for renewal.
Aberin said police would wait for the local government’s decision on whether to grant an extension.
If no extension is approved, authorities will first coordinate with rally organizers to discuss the next steps, he added.
Aberin said dispersal is “out of the question,” warning that attempting to break up a crowd of that size could spark unrest.
“Napakalaking number po ito para gawin natin, para i-disperse po ito. We were expecting ng malaking kaguluhan po ’pag magdi-disperse po tayo,” he said.
(The crowd is too large for us to disperse. We expect it could result in major disorder if we attempt to do so.)
As of around noon Wednesday, Aberin said authorities estimated the crowd at the People Power Monument at over 4,000, with numbers continuing to rise.
He said it was still too early to determine whether attendance would reach 50,000 or more later in the day.
Aberin also said police had received unverified information that the gathering could continue until Friday, although organizers have yet to confirm this.
Despite the uncertainty over the rally’s duration, he said the NCRPO is prepared to secure the gathering for as long as necessary.
“Kahit abutin po ng buwan ito, handang-handa po ang NCRPO sa mga ganitong pagtitipon,” he said.
(Even if it lasts for a month, the NCRPO is fully prepared for gatherings like this.)
Aberin said conditions at the rally site were more orderly than on Tuesday, attributing the improvement to the permit conditions imposed by the Quezon City government and the cooperation of INC leaders in ensuring compliance.
He added that the NCRPO’s legal team is still evaluating possible charges over Tuesday’s incident in which a bus blocked part of EDSA, saying investigators are still gathering evidence before deciding whether to file a case.— MCG, GMA News
