Malacañang has imposed heightened security measures a day before the scheduled Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) rally in Manila, leaving only the Nagtahan Gate open as of Saturday morning.
Other access points — Mendiola, Ayala Bridge, and General Solano — were closed and heavily barricaded with container vans, barbed wire, and police barriers.
Fire trucks, police vehicles, and additional uniformed personnel were deployed across critical access roads, while internal traffic inside the Palace compound was rerouted and stricter screening enforced at the lone open gate.
The increased security follows tensions from the September 21 protest, when demonstrators attempted to move toward Mendiola and Ayala Bridge.
Despite the visible preparations, Malacañang denied that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. convened the government’s security cluster on Friday, amid rising public frustration over the ongoing flood control corruption scandal. The President earlier said he expects arrests of those involved “before Christmas.”
The INC rallies from November 16 to 18 are expected to bring thousands to Manila, prompting heightened police alert across the capital.