Freedom of expression is enshrined in the Constitution, along with “the right of the people peaceably to assemble” and seek redress for grievances.
All rights, however, must be balanced with the rights of others and exercised with responsibility. At the very least, the general public must be alerted about disruptions to their daily commute, so that they can take different routes and get on with their lives with minimum hassle.
The Iglesia ni Cristo has drawn flak for staging what its members described as a “surprise rally” beginning Tuesday, blocking EDSA. The INC rallyists and the buses that brought them to the People Power Monument snarled traffic the entire day not only along EDSA but along the many roads connected to what has to be the busiest thoroughfare in Metro Manila.
Their beef: the looming indictment for plunder of INC member Rodante Marcoleta before the Sandiganbayan, which was announced on Monday by Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla.
Plunder is normally a non-bailable offense, and the anti-graft court is expected to issue a warrant for Marcoleta’s arrest once the ombudsman files the case.
As the INC rally continued on its second day yesterday, Remulla denied accusations of “selective justice” and said the filing of the case in court would push through.
The INC members are accusing the ombudsman of singling out those like Marcoleta who are allied with Vice President Sara Duterte while going slow on people identified with President Marcos, among them his cousin, resigned House speaker Martin Romualdez.
Marcoleta also sees his likely arrest as part of an effort to eliminate him from participation in Duterte’s impeachment trial, which starts this Monday.
The Office of the Ombudsman has said it is pursuing plunder and other cases against Romualdez and several other senators, with former public works secretary Manuel Bonoan eyed as a state witness to help pin down the former speaker.
The ombudsman has also said that the case against Marcoleta moved faster because the senator himself had provided the evidence: his own public disclosure that he received P75 million from private donors when he was a congressman, for use in his 2025 election campaign, but which he did not declare in his statement of campaign contributions. The P75 million was also not reflected in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.
INC rallyists have said funds from private individuals or entities are not covered by the plunder law – a point that the ombudsman has debunked, citing provisions in Republic Act 7080 or the Anti-Plunder Act.
The plunder indictment isn’t going to be resolved along EDSA, but in court. INC members are free to argue their case in the streets, but it can be done without the maximum public inconvenience that they have caused.