The proclamation rally of presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and vice presidential candidate Sara Duterte-Carpio at the Iglesia ni Cristo-owned Philippine Arena on Tuesday does not necessarily mean an endorsement from the bloc-voting church to their candidacies.
This was according to lawyer Vic Rodriguez, Marcos Jr.’s spokesman, who also said the tandem’s campaign kick-off was only held there because “it was the largest venue” possible.
“You’re reading too much between the lines. We have not said anything close to that,” Rodriguez told reporters when asked if the event held at the largest indoor arena equated to an endorsement from the bloc-voting Iglesia ni Cristo.
“Ito ay venue lamang. Kaya namin ito napili sapagkat ito ang pinakamalaki at maaaring mag-accommodate sa libu-libo naming mga supporters and followers (We chose this because this is the largest venue that could accommodate thousands of supporters),” he added.
Rodriguez said if there were only other bigger venues that could accommodate more supporters, then they would have preferred to hold the event there.
The Philippine Arena has 55,000 seating capacity. But only 25,000 individuals were expected and allowed entry due to capacity limit imposed as part of health protocols.