Bro. Ryan Mejillano in Metro Manila, Part 3 At Quirino Grandstand

Bro. Ryan Mejillano at the historic Quirino Grandstand

The Quirino Grandstand is one of the most historic place in the country because it is the place where our presidents are being inaugurated and are taking the oath of office from President Manuel L. Quezon onward. Only with few exceptions:

1. Pres. Corazon Cojuanco Aquino, the first woman president of the Philippines who assumed the Office due to the First Philippine People Power at EDSA. She took the oath of office before Chief Justice Claudio Teehanke at Club Filipino.

2. Pres. Joseph Ejercito Estrada, preferred to take the oath of Office at Barasoain Church in Malolos, Bulacan. The historic Church was the place where the first Philippine Constitution was drafted by the Filipino Revolutionaries.

3. Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who took the Oath of Office at Our Lady of Peace Shrine at EDSA after Pres. Estrada was removed from office by the second PEOPLE POWER REVOLUTION due to charges of corruption and connection to illegal gambling syndicates.

However, the most memorable event ever held in this place is the WORLD YOUTH DAY 1995 wherein the late John Paul the Great led the more than 4 million people in prayer. It is considered the biggest crowd in the history of his papacy and in the history of the Catholic Church.

Bro. Ryan with statues of Our Lady

When we arrived at the grandstand, Bro. Ryan and I were delighted because we saw a lot of large statues of the Blessed Mother aligned in the parading road facing the grandstand. We told ourselves that we will take the pictures of each of the statues. They were beautiful and properly arranged. We also noticed that there are a lot of people wearing white cassock [males] and blue and white clothes with head covering for women. Only later did we find out that they are not Catholics but members of a cult called Catholic Apostolic Church. They are claiming to be Orthodox yet using the name Catholics and having their own self-appointed Bishops. I whispered to Bro. Ryan: "Bro, natanso tayo!" ["Brother, we were faked!" or "We were deceived!"]. Well, at least we were glad that they are devotee of the Blessed Mother. May she lead them to the true Church of her Son.