Palace says 'no deal' made with INC to end protest
MANILA, Philippines — No compromise was made by the government to have the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) agree to end the mass action on Monday, a Malacañang official said.
"There was no deal struck, as some insinuate. The talks gave both sides an opportunity to clarify issues and concerns," Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a statement.
The INC leadership directed its followers to go home and conclude the five-day protests against what they perceive as the Department of Justice's meddling in church affairs.
READ: INC ends 5-day protest
Thousands of INC members trooped to EDSA, a major thoroughfare in Manila, to seek the resignation of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima who ordered an investigation into the illegal detention case filed against some of the sect's top leaders.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, meanwhile, said the INC protest was settled through "diplomacy" and "mutual respect."
"We were resolved not to inflame passions, which could have given an opening to those with selfish agendas to further exacerbate conflict," Lacierda said in a statement on the the conclusion of the protest.
Lacierda said the protest stemmed from a disagreement which the two sides resolved with "calmer heads."
"Diplomacy therefore was an important tool in avoiding unintended consequences,” he said.
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