Sanctified Podiums, Secular Policies: Upholding Political Integrity Against Religious Influence

By: Karl Barrantes, Andreia Basi, Amber Caras, Daniela Castrodes, Slevin De Dios, Dirk Diamante, Princess Lian Diez, Therenz Estanislao, Liam Ladores, Ivan Lladones, Michael Andrei Mayo, Jennica Mogan, Terence Nolasco, Azriel Wayne Omalza, Frances Palestroque, Krizzia Raymundo, Andre Santos, Andrei Solano, Gabrielle Unarse, Miguel Vengco 

The influence of religion has long dominated the Philippines. As part of the country’s deeply rooted and rich

culture, religious groups have garnered millions of followers nationwide. However, this influence becomes dubious when exerted on political matters. The Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) is a Christian denomination notable for its non-Trinitarian doctrines, bloc voting during government elections, and strong emphasis on unity and obedience among its members (Esmaquel II, 2014). The INC has recently launched a nationwide political rally to oppose the impeachment cases filed against the current Vice President (VP) Sara Duterte. In light of this, an article written by Tatad (2025), “The Rights to Impeach,” contains his concerns regarding the INC peace rally’s implications for the Vice President’s impeachment. Taylor and Rood (2024) emphasize that impeaching high-ranking government officials is a grave concern and requires a demanding and careful examination. To mitigate abuses of power in the government, political processes require high procedural standards to counter the destabilizing effects of impeachment. The INC's public rallies exemplify their legitimate exercise of free speech. However, allowing any religious organization to influence or cast a decisive vote on impeachment matters undermines the legal foundations of due process and threatens the constitutional principle of separation between church and state.

Firstly, the article contends that the large-scale rallies organized by the INC may exert undue influences on

government decisions, particularly the impeachment proceedings, thereby raising concerns regarding the principle of separation of church and state. According to Ms. Ariane Mojar (personal communication, February 6, 2025), a member of INC, the rally served as a peaceful demonstration of support for President Marcos’ stance against the impeachment proceedings, emphasizing national unity over political divisiveness. Furthermore, historical paradigms, namely the Catholic Church’s involvement in the 1986 People Power Revolution, demonstrate that religious activism has long been integrated into Philippine democracy without violating constitutional principles. The church’s involvement underscores its significant influence in rallying societal change in line with democratic values. Therefore, INC’s protest should be regarded as a legitimate exercise of political expression rather than an unconstitutional infiltration of the state’s affairs. Moreover, Attorney Marc Castrodes (personal communication, February 6, 2025) stated that the concerns regarding religious influence on governance are valid. The constitutional principle of church-state separation primarily restricts government interference in religious matters rather than prohibiting religious groups from engaging in political discourse. INC’s protest aligns with the democratic rights to free speech and assembly, demonstrating a commitment to engage in peaceful expression.

In an attempt to promote democracy and freedom of religion within the country, it advocates for people to

exercise their rights to maintain peace and order. Regardless, its aim to process a source of unity within the government proves to be a threat to the nation’s constitutional rights as it diminishes the church-state separation. By this, the INC’s previous connection to the 2022 Presidential Election alongside the current protest against the impeachment of VP Duterte, has put people in question regarding the group’s controversial decisions due to the underlying constitution that supports the inviolable separation between the state and the church. Following Article 2, Section 6 of the 198 constitution, this evokes the idea of INC’s initiative in using its power to promote any constitutional preceding, specifically the impeachment of current VP Duterte. Similarly, the protest has no veto power to impact the decision of Congress regarding the impeachment (Department of Budget and Management, 2019). However, if Congress and any political groups oppose the impeachment complaints on constitutional grounds, this indicates that the protest may have had a significant impact on the decision. As proved by Attorney Castrodes (personal communication, February 6, 2025), when protests gradually become too impactful, there is a possibility that rallyists will vote in a similar way leading people to vote against certain people in Congress since the Senate underestimates the impact of rallies. 

Second, the article states the significance of rallies as actions toward raising awareness and making a stance on

current political issues. Through protests, the people may influence political decisions and hold the government accountable for their actions. Historical events such as the People Power Revolution showed the use of public influence to prevent the abuse of power by the former dictator, Ferdinand Marcos Sr. Rallies have preserved the right to freedom of speech, which is protected by several laws, such as Article III, Section 4 which protects free speech and the right to protest; Batas Pambansa Blg. 880 ensures permitted rallies; Republic Act No. 6713 reinforces leaders' accountability through free speech. Activism promotes transparency with the government, ensuring that they remain in action in response to justice and dissatisfaction of the people. In addition, restricting freedom of speech could discourage people from political participation and deteriorate the connection between the people and the government (Hudson, 2022).

Rallies have been an effective way of expressing the concerns of the public. Despite that, the participation of

religious groups in matters such as the impeachments of high-ranking individuals should not be influenced by public opinions and stances. Concerning the INC rally against the impeachment of the Vice President, the President agreed with the opinion of the Chief Presidential Legal Counsel, Juan Ponce Enrile, concerning the stance of the INC presenting possible consequences to the country (Presidential Communications Office, 2025). Rallies may disrupt the maintenance of political neutrality during the impeachment process. The impeachment must remain constitutional to ensure fairness, accountability, and professionalism (Congressional Research Service, 2023). The Constitution ensures a structured process, starting with filing charges, investigation, and trial in the Senate. Each stage, as mentioned earlier, should abide by factual evidence, legal principles, and due process as it prevents decision-making based on emotional or political biases on those with power. Furthermore, allowing such external affiliations to influence impeachment processes continues to risk credibility and stability. Continuously, these Constitutions uphold these principles and maintain the integrity of democratic institutions that bound Filipino voters' look-throughs and judgments, ensuring that high-ranking officials would be held accountable through lawful and justifiable acts under continuing its duty to prevent the misuse of impeachment as a mere political tool (Sunstein, 2017). 

Lastly, the article asserted that the INC feels obligated to support the Dutertes, having originally promoted

"UniTeam" during the 2022 Philippine elections. The INC indubitably announced its endorsement of the Marcos-Duterte alliance along with select senatorial candidates who had successfully achieved their intended position (GMA News, 2022). The INC did not initiate the rally to support VP Sara Duterte and former President Rodrigo Duterte, as no official statement from the religious group indicates this purpose. In a media interview aired by ABS-CBN News on the day of the "National Rally for Peace," INC spokesperson Edwil Zabala clarified that the assembly was in reference to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s call to focus on critical issues rather than filing impeachment complaints against VP Sara Duterte. According to Zabala, "[The rally] is not in support of this or that candidate, this or that political party. It's basically in support of what the President said. When he was interviewed, no one was asking whether what he was saying was a political statement. People took what they said at face value." Sheena Salazar reiterated the same idea, "It is to show the support for our president's statement that he doesn't agree that Sara should be impeached." (Salazar, personal communication, February 6, 2025). While the INC has had a history of promoting political figures during elections, sentiments from members of the INC argue that the peace rally advocates for public welfare through unity within the government rather than exhibiting political favor. 

The call for the government to focus on other impending issues is to ensure the stability and progress of the

country. While other critical issues prevail, this does not justify disregarding the legal process of impeachment of Vice President (VP) Sara Duterte. The process of impeachment protects a country's democracy, assuring that no government official is above the law and is held accountable for complaints against the abuse of their power (Impeachment Primer, n.d.). In the case of the impeachment of VP Sara Duterte, seven articles of impeachment were filed, one of which is the alleged misuse of confidential funds. Allegations of graft and corruption were rooted in her alleged misuse of 612.5 million pesos of confidential funds and intelligence funds received by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) during her term as the Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary (TIME, 2025). Further controversies of the VP's death threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez were added reasons for impeachment. The release of her statement to the public has caused the investigation and national security concerns tantamount to culpable violations of the 1987 Constitution (Philstar, 2025). The actions preceded by VP Sara Duterte have caused the betrayal of public trust, leading to the uncertainty of whether she is suitable to remain in power. The process of her impeachment ensures her accountability, and she is given proper judgment based on evidence. According to Article 6, Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution, maintenance of public trust in the government must be observed by all public government officials. Order and trust must be observed for peace to prosper as it stabilizes the functionality of society. 

Ultimately, the discussion is civil and professional. However, the INC's rally in support of President Marcos'

statement on Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment should not hinge on the opinions and actions of the INC. Despite exercising the democratic right to free speech, INC’s rally hinders the separation of state and church and can shape public opinion, disrupting the due process of law. Moreover, rallies and movements based on opinions and beliefs hinder constitutional integrity due to their subjective origin. The impeachment process must be consistent, fair to the people, and strict in all cases. To protect democracy, this procedure ensures that no government official is above the law. In Sara Duterte’s case, she is facing heavy accusations, some of which include the mishandling of funds and the alleged assassination plot. In order to achieve a smooth and fair result in this political discourse, government officials must be critical of such details. If they exercise their democratic rights, it should be based on principles and values, not group loyalty. In addition, citizens must keep their opinions on the issue described as “peaceful.” Online discourse and misinformation can easily cause confusion and wrong assumptions about the intention of certain movements. The government must serve the people, while the people keep the government in check. This dynamic allows for healthy discussions on important topics such as impeachment and prevents self-serving priorities. No party should ever transgress established boundaries; should one do so, the other must intervene to restore balance and peace within the political discourse. 

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