MANILA, Philippines – Three people were arrested and three policemen were injured during a rallly in Quezon City on Tuesday calling for "transparency and accountability" in government, which also paralyzed traffic flow along EDSA.
Members of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) gathered at the People Power Monument (PPM) along White Plains Avenue in opposition to the filing of a plunder case against Sen. Rodante Marcoleta over an undisclosed P75 million campaign-related fund. Marcoleta was one of several candidates supported by the INC in the last 2025 senatorial elections.
Among those arrested was a bus driver who refused to listen to authorities telling him to stop hitting a policewoman while two others were arrested for punching police officers. The Philippine National Police (PNP) is looking at filing charges of direct assault against the suspects who have yet to be identified.
Rallyists were also called out for blocking roads that snarled traffic along EDSA.
Col. Allen Rae Co, PNP spokesman, said in Filipino that they were apprised of the protesters' plans but assured the public that the PNP would “exhaust all possible peaceful means of dispersing and ensuring that the situation returns to normal.” About 6,000 personnel from the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), Central Luzon, Calabarzon and Mimaropa were deployed to monitor the crowd that had swelled to 10,000 before noon.
Apart from the EDSA Shrine, the Senate of the Philippines, Mendiola, Ayala Bridge, the US Embassy, Liwasang Bonifacio, and other identified locations were also secured by the PNP. Co told reporters that the commanders on the ground were coordinating with those conducting the protest.
Earlier in the day, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) implemented road closures and traffic adjustments near the People Power Monument in Quezon City.
The MMDA said the affected roads include the EDSA Ortigas Service Road northbound, EDSA Ortigas Flyover northbound and southbound, and White Plains Avenue eastbound and westbound.
The agency reported moderate to slow-moving traffic along EDSA southbound from Scout Borromeo to Ortigas Split, while EDSA northbound from Guadalupe to White Plains was also experiencing delays.
MMDA said one lane was occupied by vehicles parked by rally participants, affecting traffic flow in the area.
Motorists were advised to expect delays and take alternate routes whenever possible, while MMDA personnel remained deployed on site to manage traffic.
