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

INC minister in California quits during service

MANILA – A minister of the Iglesia Ni Cristo in Fremont, California stepped down from his post amid the controversies surrounding his church.

In a video uploaded on YouTube on Saturday, minister Louie Cayabyab said he could not bear to read the circulars expelling the wife and children of Bro. Erano G. Manalo and Bro. Isaias T. Samson Jr., the former editor-in-chief of INC publication The Pasugo.

“You might be asking, ‘why,” Because in my heart, in my heart of hearts, I can’t take it. It is, it is just so so difficult to betray one’s heart,” Cayabyab told the congregation.

The minister said he was well aware of the consequences of his actions. “I know that I will be stripped out of my duty. From now on, I will no longer be a minister, probably I will be expelled from the Church, but I will take it brothers and sisters,” he said.

Cayabyab, however, admonished the faithful “to remain in the Church no matter what happens.”

He then thanked his Fremont brethren for the love and kindness shown to him and his family.

Members of the congregation could be heard sobbing in the video.

The INC has been making headlines since Thursday when it expelled Cristina "Tenny" Manalo, the widow of INC's former executive minister Eraño "Erdy" Manalo, and their son, Felix Nathaniel "Angel."

In a press conference, INC General Evangelist Bienvenido Santiago said the INC leadership decided to expel the two from the general membership of the INC after they appeared in a YouTube video claiming their lives are in danger and that some ministers have allegedly been abducted.

Cayabyab has previously been assigned to INC locales in Washington D.C., Temple Hills, Maryland, Northern Virginia, Virginia, Baltimore, Maryland, Elizabeth, New Jersey, Central New Jersey, Staten Island, New York, Virginia Beach, Livermore, and Northern California.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Fil-Am INC members urged to air grievances

REDWOOD CITY, California – Some Filipino-American former members of Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC), an influential religious group in the Philippines, are asking other US-based INC members to make their grievances.

The church made headlines recently after a brother of the current leader of the INC alleged rampant corruption in the religious organization.

INC has over three million followers and its churches are spread in over 100 countries. There are at least 39 churches in the United States alone.

Balitang America has been contacted by US members of the INC who claim that they were excommunicated for speaking up about supposed anomalies in the church. Others said they voluntarily cut ties with the INC.

An alleged excommunicated INC member forwarded a message to Balitang America with a call for help from the international media to expose human rights violations reportedly happening in the church. This allegedly involves the kidnapping of 10 church ministers.

Balitang America is still to get in touch with the alleged ex-INC members.

Read more on Balitang America.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

LISTEN: Ex-INC member weeps, urges Manalo to talk to his mom

MANILA - A former Iglesia ni Cristo member wept and pleaded with INC leader Eduardo Manalo to speak with his mother, Cristina "Tenny" Manalo, widow of the late INC Executive Minister Eraño Manalo, after the INC expelled her from the church.

Speaking to radio DZMM, former Gem Net administrative coordinator Joy Yuson made an impassioned plea for the INC leader to speak to his own mother.

"Kausapin niyo po ang inyong ina na anim na taon na niyong hindi kinakausap. May sakit, hindi niyo ipinapagamot. Ninanakaw ang abuloy ng Iglesia, sariling ina hindi niyo ipinapagamot. Napakarami na pong ministrong namamatay ng walang sariling gamot. Ninanakaw ang abuloy ng Iglesia. Ayusin niyo po ito, kayo lang po ang makapag-aayos," he said.

He also urged Manalo to remove INC auditor general Jun Santos and the other members of the Sanggunian for alleged corruption.

He accused Santos of withdrawing INC funds from various bank accounts and channeling these to the Felix Y. Manalo Foundation.

The INC leadership earlier expelled Tenny Manalo and Angel Manalo, younger brother of the INC leader, for making a YouTube video that said Angel's family was receiving threats and is in danger.

The expulsion of Angel and Tenny means they can no longer attend worship services of the church. The expulsion of the Manalo matriarch and son comes days before the INC celebrates the 101st year of its founding.

INC General Evangelist Bienvenido Santiago said the Manalo matriarch and son were trying to gain sympathy so they could interfere in the leadership of the church. He denied the threats as well as reports of alleged abductions of INC ministers.

In a separate interview, INC spokesperson Edwill Zabala said Yuson must show proof of his allegations of corruption inside the church.

"There must be proof given. Madali pong umiyak. Madali pong habang umiiyak, sabihin: 'tanggalin si ganito, tanggalin si ganoon.' Pero since he claims na naniniwala pa rin siya sa sinasabi sa bibliya, I would like to simply remind him and anyone else listening 1 Timothy 5:19 requires the church not to accept any accusation against an elder in the church except by the witness of two or three persons," he said.

He also dared Yuson to file a case and present his evidence in a court of law.

He said the church will present more evidence that will debunk Yuson's claims on Monday.

RADIO DZMM, July 24, 2015

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Daniel open to changing religious beliefs for Kathryn

MANILA - Actor-singer Daniel Padilla is open to the idea of changing his religious beliefs to be with his on-screen partner, Kathryn Bernardo.

Padilla is a Catholic, while Bernardo is a member of Iglesia ni Cristo.

"Tignan natin at marami pa namang pwedeng mangyari sa future. Siguro hindi pa ako makakapag-decide ngayon. Pero siyempre, open naman ako. Diyos pa rin 'yan, bakit naman aayawan ko," Padilla told ABS-CBNnews.com on Thursday at the sidelines of his press conference for his second major concert at the Araneta Coliseum on April 30.

But for now, Padilla said their different religious beliefs are not an issue.

"Oo INC siya, okay lang, ganoon naman talaga. Pero sa future pa tayo makakapag-decide niyan. Hindi naman isyu ang religion. Hindi lang tayo pwedeng magdesisyon ngayon," he said.

The actor went on to say that he and Bernardo enjoy each other's company.

"Ganoon pa rin po, very close kami ni Kathryn. Kami ang typical na masaya kapag magkasama," he said.

While they remain "very special but not really official," Padilla said he is willing to wait for the right time to be Bernardo's boyfriend.

"Ayaw ko pong minamadali ang mga bagay-bagay," he said, adding, "Siguro kung alam naman ng lalaki ang mga nangyayari ngayon, hindi naman niya siguro liligawan si Kathryn."

Gift for Kathryn

Meanwhile, Padilla shared what he gave Bernardo for her 18th birthday last March 26.

"'Yung aso ang binigay ko sa kanya, si Snow. Una kasi gusto niya ng golden retriever pero may nagbigay na sa kanya," said the actor, who will be Bernardo's escort at her party this Sunday.

When asked to give a birthday message to the actress, Padilla said: "Kathryn, kahapon sa birthday mo, masayang-masaya ka. I'm very happy also. Sana marami pang magandang bagay na mangyari sa iyo. Lagi kong hihilingin na tuluy-tuloy lang ang mabubuting [nangyayari sa iyo] at pagiging inspirasyon mo [sa iba]."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com