MANILA, Philippines (1st UPDATE) - Chief Justice Renato Corona will not attend the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) grand evangelical mission at the Quirino Grandstand this afternoon, Supreme Court spokesman Jose Midas Marquez said.

Marquez said Corona was advised against attending the religious exposition so that he may not be accused of using the gathering for any political gain in the midst of his impeachment trial.

"The Chief Justice received an invitation, he was advised not to attend anymore by some of the justices and those close to him... Just the same, he extends his congratulations to the INC," Marquez said.

Marquez bared he may attend the gathering, having received an invitation himself. He said all the Supreme Court magistrates were invited to the rally.

INC spokesman Bienvenido Santiago earlier said there is no politics in the church's nationwide evangelical mission. This, amid talk that the rally is a "show of force" for Corona, whose chief counsel in his impeachment trial, Serafin Cuevas, is also a lawyer of the INC.

A total of 4,374 INC local congregations nationwide will participate in the evangelical mission. It is expected to gather at least 1 million members from its 5 ecclesiastical districts in Metro Manila, and other districts in Bulacan and CALABARZON.

In an official release, the INC says its central theme is "proclaiming the truth of God's words written in the Holy Bible."

Described as the largest independent church in Asia, the INC was officially registered in 1914 by its first Executive Minister, Felix Manalo.

His grandson, Eduardo Manalo, is now the church's Executive Minister.

The INC is believed to be an influential force in the Philippine political landscape because of its capacity to deliver at least 2 million votes through 'bloc voting' to politicians endorsed by its leaders. -- with a report from Ina Reformina, ABS-CBN News