Got a tip? Send it to us at manila@coconuts.co.
Vice President Jejomar Binay laughed off the bashing he received from netizens after he defended the protest staged by members of Iglesia ni Cristo (INC).
Netizens flooded social media platforms last week with complaints about the inconvenience they experienced after members of the INC held protests outside the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Ermita, Manila and then at EDSA.
Binay was among those criticized heavily by netizens for defending the protest, saying the vice president was trying to pander to the politically influential Christian group.
“Kanya-kanyang grupo lang ‘yan (Every man has a group)!” was the Vice President’s reaction when posed with a question if he regrets defending the protest.
He explained that even the Supreme Court stated that inconveniences may be encountered in the exercise of freedom of speech.
WATCH: THE INC PROTEST THAT SHOOK UP METRO MANILA
Binay, a lawyer, explained that religious freedom and freedom of speech are civil liberties guaranteed by the Constitution.
The Vice President went to Paombong, Bulacan on Monday morning and met with residents of this town.
The vice president visited the town’s public market, where he posed for pictures and shook hands with locals. He also dropped by barangays Malumot, San Jose, and Masukol.
Text: Jorge Cariño, ABS-CBN News
Photo: News clip
This article has been re-published with permission from ABS-CBNnews.com.
