Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste’s appearance at the Iglesia ni Cristo-led rally at Liwasang Bonifacio on Thursday, July 2, triggered online claims that he had inserted himself into the gathering and was an unwanted presence at the venue.
Leviste arrived at the rally site with supporters from Batangas as INC members continued their protest, calling for fairness and accountability amid the looming plunder case against Sen. Rodante Marcoleta.
His presence quickly drew attention because the rally had been closely watched as an INC-led political demonstration against what protesters described as “selective justice.” But instead of merely joining the crowd, Leviste’s attendance became its own controversy after social media pages accused him of using the rally as a political stage.
“This is Leandro Leviste’s HAKOT CROWD at Liwasang Bonifacio. Imagine, hinakot kayo galing Batangas just to chant Leviste’s name?” Live Awake – Thea Tan wrote in a post.
The post also claimed that around 200 members of Leviste’s supposed “hakot crowd” later agreed to give way to INC members at the venue.
“Does this mean pinaalis sila dahil nakikisawsaw lang sila sa rally ng INC? What’s new with this clout-chaser politician?” the post added.
Another post from Pinas Thoughts accused Leviste of hijacking the rally and copying chants from another political group.
“Si Solar Boy Leviste nanghijack na nga ng rally ng INC namirata pa ng ‘chant’ mula sa Tindig Pilipinas,” the post said.
“This footage was taken this morning around 10 am. They eventually left the site on order of the real organizer of the rally,” it added.
The online posts fueled speculation that Leviste and his supporters were asked to leave the venue or were not welcomed by INC organizers.
As of writing, however, there has been no official statement from INC organizers, no verified report, and no confirmed account proving that Leviste was formally removed from the rally site.
Speaking at the rally, Leviste framed his attendance as support for a broader demand for accountability, saying the issue should not be limited to Marcoleta but should also include other alleged corruption cases, including anomalous flood control projects.
His appearance came as the INC-led protest moved from Quezon City to Manila after the group’s permit for another rally along EDSA was not allowed by the Quezon City government. The shift to Liwasang Bonifacio placed the rally in one of the capital’s traditional protest venues and gave the gathering a broader political stage.
What remains clear is that Leviste’s presence added another layer to an already politically charged event.
For his supporters, his attendance amplified calls for “true justice” and wider corruption investigations. For critics online, however, the episode raised a different question: whether politicians joining the INC-led rally were supporting its cause or using the crowd for their own political visibility.