INC holds medical mission in QC

MANILA, Philippines - Thousands of Filipinos flocked to the medical, dental and evangelical mission of Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City on Friday.

Similar to the religious group’s statement during a previous mission in Manila last October, Edwil Zabala – the designated spokesperson for Friday’s event – said there is no politics involved in the activity dubbed as “Kabayan Ko, Kapatid Ko.”

More than 20,000 people were at the circle as of 2 p.m. Friday, said Quezon City Police District Station 10 commander Superintendent Limuel Obon.

Zabala said the crowd reached around 60,000.

“The reason we’ve been doing this is that we believe that this is one expression of the commandment that we love our neighbor, we love our fellowmen,” Zabala said.

He noted that the religious group has been doing similar activities “from way, way back,” maintaining that it is not the objective of INC to flex muscle or show force in such activities.

“Of course we could not control what others would like to think and what their opinions are, but we are hoping that they take the time to look at what we’ve been doing so they would at least have proven to themselves that that is not the objective of Iglesia Ni Cristo,” he said.

“I suppose they should be the ones to explain why they were thinking that it was a show of force or that was political in nature,” Zabala added.

The Facebook account of the activity showed that similar missions were held this December in Caloocan, Valenzuela, Lahad Datu Sabah in Malaysia, and California in the United States.

“It is important that we inform our own countrymen that the Church Of Christ has the true brotherhood,” the project’s website quoted the pastoral letter of INC executive minister Eduardo Manalo.

It said the project – which gives aid such as food, clothing, and medical and dental services to indigents – is now regularly held in different parts of the world.

Zabala said the group is also conducting relief operations for survivors of Super Typhoon Yolanda.

“Not just relief packages, but also medical missions. We have repacking centers in Cebu. Our support (for the survivors) is continuous,” he added.

Traffic along Elliptical Road and Commonwealth Avenue near the Quezon Memorial Circle was affected because of the activity. Personnel from the Metro Manila Development Authority and the city’s department of public order and safety were also deployed to assist police officers in maintaining peace and order during the mission.