A massive rally of the powerful Iglesia Ni Cristo church will be held in Davao City with an estimated 100,000 members are expected to join the gathering, considered as the largest protest in Southern Mindanao. An estimated 22 districts in Mindanao are expected to participate in the four-day gathering in Davao City.
The city government of Davao will deploy close to 100 policemen and civil disturbance management (CDM) personnel to provide security and traffic control during the highly anticipated protest. The expected protest rally of INC members was confirmed by the heads of INC in Mindanao after Mayor Duterte invite them to hold rally in Davao City.
INC members who will participate in the rally in Davao City will be coming from the provinces of Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Compostela Valley and Davao Occidental, as well as from the cities of Davao,Panabo, Tagum, Digos and Samal, the participants would have arrived here Sunday midnight, with the rally beginning around 7 a.m. Monday (Aug. 31).
According to the INC’s statement the mass action would be centered at the Hall of Justice building in Ecoland area, just across the Davao City overland transport terminal (DCOTT), a major transport hub for buses plying major Mindanao routes.
Based upon initial report, the INC crowd would be occupying a two-lane street in Davao City. The protest rally in Davao are expected to cause traffic outside the main bus terminal. The city government of Davao already granted a permit to rally for four days but there was no definite time as to when they would leave.