INC ends protest after 'win-win solution'

Iglesia sorry for traffic jams but stands ground

MANILA - The Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) is moving on after ending their nearly 5-day protest in Metro Manila. 

They begin with an apology to the public inconvenienced by the massive traffic jams caused by their protest.

INC Minister Adriel Meimban told ABS-CBN News that the decision to end the protest came about because of a "win-win solution" between government and the INC.

Meimban said the INC did nothing illegal and was merely imposing disciplinary measures on erring members.INC members started their protests with a call for government to respect the separation of church and state following the filing of an illegal detention charge against 8 members of the INC's highest governing body, the Sanggunian.

"Wala po sila mismo po. Balikan natin ang footage. Inamin mismo na walang abduction, walang pagdukot sa mga ministro. Iyung napabalitang na-abduct, lumitaw na misinformation... disinformation ng mga natiwalag. Fabrication, alegasyon at kung ano ano pa, kaya nagpapasalamat tayo sa pamahalaan, sa wakas, after 4 days, nagkaroon ng win-win solution," Meimban said.

"Itinawalag ang ilan batay po sa Bibliya, [itinawalag] ang mga 'di sumusunod sa mga ipinatutupad sa loob ng Iglesia. May mga patakaran at aral ng Diyos, lalo na Doktrina Numero 21. Ang pagsunod, pagtalima, pagpasakop sa pamamahala...that the authority of the executive minister should be recognized. Hindi po ito sinunod ng mga natiwalag. It is an internal affair... 'di dapat pakialaman ng estado.

"Pagkat internal ang pagdidisplina ng mga hindi sumusunod, sa mga lumalaban, sa nagtataksil sa mga doktrina at sinusuway ang kalooban ng Diyos na ipinatutupad ng pamahala. There was no other recourse for the church administration but to impose discipline. Nasa Bibliya rin kasi, usapin ng magkakapatid, dapat pag-usapan sa loob, pero anong ginawa. They went to social media, inilabas sa YouTube... nagkasanga-sanga na po iyan, iyan ang nangyari."Meimban, however, did not talk about the details of their negotiations with government.

"Iyan po tungkol sa usapang negosasyon, 'di po namin alam iyon. Ang mahalaga sa amin, anong nahayag. Tanong niyo kanina, will we be the same? It will be more intensive. Nakita niyo ang pagkilos ng Iglesia from Batanes to Tawi-Tawi. Nagkakaisa nang tawagan ng pamamahala ng kapatid Eduardo Manalo. Ang mga kapatid, tumugon sila sa puso't isip. Tama ang pasya at pasya ay nakabatay sa banal na aklat sa Bibliya."

CASE NOT CLOSED

Asked how he can explain why they decided to end their protests and if they got what they wanted, Meimban said, "Dapat masunod ang kalooban ng Diyos. Anong dapat mangyari dito, dapat una, separation of church and state, manatili iyan at igalang, respetuhin."

Pressed further if the INC got that, Meimban said, "Well, we're on that path. 'Di pa tapos ang kaso. Iyung inihain ng mga nagreklamo, they have to be addressed in the proper forum. Ang pamamaraan na ayon sa batas ay walang shortcut."

Meimban said the INC will abide by the law. "Oo siyempre. Ang gobyerno ay sinusunod ng Iglesia, panahon pa ni kapatid Felix Manalo, 49 years. Panahon ni kapatid Erano Manalo, 46 years, and now for the last 5-6 years sa pamahala ni kapatid Eduardo Manalo, we continue to be good, law-abiding citizens. We pay taxes, we follow rules and ordinances."

He was clear about appealing for public understanding.

"Importante doon, iyung kalooban ng Diyos natupad. Naiparating namin sa pamahalaan ang hinaing ng taumbayan at nirespeto ng otoridad ang karapatan magtipon sa mapayapang pamamaraan. Win-win situation. Kami po (ay) humihingi rin ng dispensa sa mga natrapik, umuwi ng medyo alanganin pero makakaasa po kayo mga kababayan na hangga't ang Iglesia Ni Cristo gumagawa ng anuman, ito'y laging salig sa kalooban ng Diyos. Ang mga lugar ng pinagdemonstratean maayos na malinis na. Ganiyan po tumrabaho ang mga kapatid sa Iglesia," he said.

Meimban is confident the INC will thrive. "Kumpara natin noon at ngayon, lalo na siguro na-intensify ngayon ang pagsunod at pagtalima ng mga kapatid namin sa Iglesia."

He also defended their rights to freedom of assembly amid criticisms regarding public inconvenience.

"We tried to present [our case] to the government. We did it peacefully. Wala anuman po na naging kaguluhan, pati kalinisan, inayos po namin iyan. Pero yun pong traffic situation, normal naman po iyon," he said.

"May permit po ang Iglesia, hindi naman po lahat naiinis o totoo sa social media. Meron po hindi Iglesia, mababasa nyo po, ang Katoliko, Muslim na sabi igalang ang pagtitipong ito ng Iglesia... Dapat maintindihan, itong ginawa ng Iglesia 'di lang po bilang Iglesia Ni Cristo members [but it's also] our spiritual duty, our right as citizens."

BLOC VOTING

Meimban explained the obedience of the flock to their leadership. "Lahat po iyan ay batay sa aral ng Diyos, all Biblically sourced."

Asked about allegations that the government is forcing the INC into supporting administration candidates for the elections, Meimban said, "Iyan dapat prubahan ng Malakanyang. Ang sinumang nagsasabi, wala po kami. We're not privy to that."

Meimban, however, doesn't deny that politicians have generally sought INC support for a long time. "Ang totoo, they come to court the church in various ways. Everybody is welcome."

Asked about perceptions that the INC votes as a bloc during elections, Meimban said, "As a bloc, dapat ituwid. Nasa Bibliya, magkaisa. Ang bloc voting ay pagkakaisa. Bawa't isa natuto, naunawaan, 'di panatisismo, 'di dinidikta."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

De Lima urged: 'Bring the truth' on INC controversy

MANILA – As members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo staged a demonstration outside the office of the Department of Justice along Padre Faura, Manila, netizens urged Justice Secretary Leila De Lima to continue the investigation into the alleged abductions and illegal detention of ministers of the religious sect.

#DeLimaBringTheTruth was a trending topic in the Philippines on Twitter on Friday evening,

Iglesia members have accused de Lima of meddling into the Iglesia ni Cristo's affairs and of giving special attention to the criminal charges filed by former INC minister Isaias Samson Jr. against members of the INC Sanggunian.

On Twitter, netizens told De Lima to continue the investigations.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com