I’m blogging this because I really want it to be recorded here in my blog and to remember the situation that caught us off guard. I agree with the photo caption that was shared by Top Gear Philippines, that the photo above is a picture perfect of the August 28, 2015 Carmageddon in EDSA.
Lots of poor souls were trapped last Friday night and some of them (all of them) are not happy. Some of my friends arrived home tired, hungry and left no choice but to wait and brave the traffic jam. The cause of the traffic is that at around 9pm – a blockade was made by the religious members of INC or Iglesia ni Cristo infront of the EDSA Shrine to protest against DOJ Secretary Leila De Lima for interfering with their religion and also the accusation of some of their top leaders for a crime that is being investigated by the DOJ. The members of the INC shouted for “Separation of their religion and state”.
I wasn’t aware on what’s going at around 4pm, all I know that they have their own peaceful rally in Manila right infront of the doorstep of the DOJ building. During the afternoon, I got some plans to attend an event in Resorts World Manila and I left home early just to avoid the Friday rush hour traffic.
Normally, traffic was expected in Terminal 3 area, so its okay, I walked in the middle of the highway and arrived in the RWM with no sweat.
So we watched a movie, enjoyed some beer with my friends and as I arrived home late at night – we stayed late in the mall just to let the traffic move out, but traffic still expected in airport road due to constructions of the Sky Way.
Okay, when I arrived home, I learned that EDSA is still ripe and awake with the massive traffic jam. I learned that the INC were already in EDSA Shrine continuing their rally.
I was shocked..because I have plans for Saturday, when I read the news that the rallyist numbers are growing, I tap down for surrender and I successfully emailed all my associates to cancel all activity for Saturday.
I monitored the news, saw the photos of their rally, saw the tweets and Facebook post of my friends who were still stranded in EDSA and the hate and anger comes in.
Here’s a photo from our fellow blogger Florencio Jusay Jr. he got stuck in EDSA and was home at around 1am,. You can read his blog post here at www.manualtolyf.blogspot.com/2015/08/blah-blah-blogs-iglesia-y-estado.html
On Facebook, lots of my friends showed the zero support for the INC rally, but I rest my case already, and if they want to rally, I will let them, they can now own the entire EDSA if they want, What we want to hear now is the final decision of the DOJ, and our PH government’s next step on how to deal with this crisis.
We reacted in a horrible way on social media, because we non INC who are in peace were disturbed by their public protest, as I mentioned we were caught off guard and it turns out that they used EDSA as a hostage so that their demands will be granted by the government or the DOJ.
This will be my last mention of the INC rally in my blog and social media. Im tired already in posting some disappointment and disgust and this wont help them people in going back home. Because as they say the only person that can make them go home is their church leader and the back off of our Department of Justice.
also, there's a disturbing part -- they want to declare war
edit: they sent their apology for the mess and traffic, And the rally might continue this coming Monday
So, where were you last Friday?
where were you when the INC occupied EDSA on a payday Friday night?
If your route will pass by EDSA-Shaw blvd. Then check out this traffic advisory that came out last Saturday afternoon, provided by the PNP.
photo credits – Top Gear Philippines, Florencio Jusay and PNP
