The Quezon City Department Public Order and Safety (QC-DPOS) said Iglesia Ni Cristo’s (INC) “emergency rally” at the People Power Monument in Quezon City Tuesday was held without a permit.

QC-DPOS head Elmo San Diego said the city government was caught off guard after thousands of rally participants began arriving before dawn without prior coordination.

“Biglaan lahat. Hindi naman kami prepared na magkaka-rally. Katatapos lang ng malaking event namin diyan sa People Power Monument noong Sunday at matahimik naman. Nagulat na lang kami kaninang madaling-araw na nagsimula na ‘yung mobilization,”San Diego said.

He said organizers did not apply for a permit, preventing the local government from preparing a traffic management plan or agreeing on the duration of the activity.

“Walang timeline, dahil wala silang permit, hindi napag-usapan. Hindi namin alam kung anong oras sila matatapos. ‘Yun ang malaking challenge sa atin ngayon,” San Diego said.

“Kung may permit na inapply, makakapaghanda tayo. Kaya apparently, illegal ang kanilang assembly. Kaya lang, sa maximum tolerance na issue, kinakausap muna namin. Eventually, kung talagang ‘di mase-settle ang issue na ‘yon, alam naman ng mga pulis natin ang gagawin at susuporta naman ang local government,” he added.

Despite the lack of a permit, authorities allowed the gathering to continue while negotiating with organizers to reduce its impact on motorists.

As of 8 a.m., police estimated the crowd at around 8,000 participants, with about 900 police personnel deployed to secure the gathering and manage traffic.

Several buses and private vehicles used by rally participants occupied portions of EDSA near White Plains Avenue, making the northbound lanes toward North Avenue impassable.

San Diego said buses and other vehicles left along EDSA were the primary cause of the traffic congestion.

“Yung mga sasakyan nila kasi, ‘yan ang nakabara sa EDSA ngayon. Nag-uusap-usap na alisin sila. Ang posisyon namin, kung hindi aalisin para lumuwag ang daloy ng trapiko, talagang itutulak namin ang mga sasakyan na nasa gitna para naman hindi maapektuhan ang mga hindi kasama sa rally,” he said.

He added that towing operations would be carried out if vehicles continued to obstruct traffic.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) advised motorists to avoid EDSA near the People Power Monument, White Plains Avenue, Boni, and Julio Vargas, saying congestion had already spread to other parts of Metro Manila.

MMDA General Manager Nicolas Torre III said authorities respect the right to peaceful assembly but appealed to organizers to avoid disrupting commuters.

“While nirerespeto natin ang karapatan ng bawat Pilipino na magpahayag ng kanilang saloobin, ang sa atin lang ay sana huwag namang maabala at maantala ang iba namang kababayan natin na hindi naman kasama diyan at gusto lang naman makapunta sa kanilang trabaho ngayong araw na ito,” Torre said.

Despite the rally, MRT-3 said all stations from North Avenue to Taft Avenue remained open and fully operational, with additional personnel deployed to ensure passenger safety and uninterrupted train operations.

In a statement read by INC spokesperson Edwil Zabala, the religious group said the gathering was a call for transparency, accountability, justice, and peace.