Vice President Sara Duterte Celebrates Iglesia Ni Cristo Anniversary
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte warmly greeted the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) on its 111th founding anniversary. She encouraged INC members to keep embracing God’s teachings and humility as they continue their spiritual journey.
In her message, Duterte expressed gratitude for the INC’s prayers for peace and order in the country, highlighting their unwavering faith. “We are one with your celebration of the anniversary and we are praying that your faith in God will be strengthened, together with His promise of safety to his children,” she said in Filipino.
National Recognition and Duterte’s Message
Earlier, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued Proclamation No. 729, declaring July 27, 2025, a special non-working day nationwide in honor of the Iglesia Ni Cristo’s founding anniversary. Duterte urged members to “continue living the love and greatness of God who gave strength to you to stand up for truth and push for a life based on holy word.”
She also extended her appreciation to Eduardo Manalo, the current Executive Minister of INC, for his leadership. Duterte remarked, “I want to express my gratitude to Ka Eduardo V. Manalo for his admirable leadership and his heart’s purity to push for unity, understanding, and faith despite different principles and ideologies in the society.”
Political Support and Recent Developments
Known for its bloc voting, the INC endorsed both Duterte and President Marcos Jr. under the “Uniteam” banner during the 2022 elections. On January 13, approximately 1.5 million INC members gathered at Manila’s Quirino Grandstand for a National Rally for Peace. The event showed their support for President Marcos’ stance against the impeachment case filed against Vice President Duterte.
The House of Representatives impeached Duterte on February 5, but the Senate later voted 18-5 to return the articles of impeachment to the lower chamber after months of delay. Recently, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled the impeachment case unconstitutional. SC Spokesperson Camille Ting explained, “The Supreme Court has ruled that the House impeachment complaint versus Vice President is barred by one-year rule and that due process or fairness applies during all stages of the impeachment.”
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