The five-day protests in Manila staged by a prominent Christian church ended on Monday, as over 20,000 members were called off the streets, following a high-level meeting between the church and state officials.
The protests were started by Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) sect, and related to a criminal suit of illegal detention filed by one of the former members against the church's leaders. The church, with over 2 million members around the country, has significant political influence and is known to have several member appointees within the government.
The church did not reveal the details of the talks but said that they have reached an agreement with the state.
"The INC and the government have met and in this discussion, the two parties have explained their sides and so it is all peaceful now," INC general evangelist Bienvenido Santiago announced on Net 25, a church broadcast network.
"This peaceful gathering that we started on Thursday afternoon will end also peacefully this Monday morning," Santiago added.
The controversies began when a few members of the church complained that the leaders oppressed them over matters of policies, according to Rappler, a local newspaper. In July, the tensions within the church became public, leading to a major crisis in the organization.
The leaders say that church funds were the cause of the inner division in INC, and asked the government to stay away from pursuing the matter, calling it an instance of state interfering in the church.
Ramon Casiple of Political and Electoral Reforms Institute in Manila told Reuters that the protests were meant for the government to withdraw investigating the church affairs.
"The current mass action and the mobilization is basically to pressure the government to get off the case," Casiple said.
"The one on trial here is the Iglesia ni Cristo. They have to show their unity... their strength," he added.
The members of the sect opposed the attempts by Justice Secretary Leila De Lima's to examine the case after the criminal complaint was lodged by a former leader of INC against other senior members in the church. The government, however, said that taking up complaints filed by any citizens or entity is the state's duty, and they had no intention of interfering with the inner workings of church.
On August 30, President Benigno Aquino III called the meeting of senior cabinet ministers, police and Justice department to resolve the crisis, as the situation seemed to proliferate with more protests planned in central and southern region of the country.
