IF PRESIDENT Aquino thinks the people will believe him when he says that there was no deal with the Iglesia ni Cristo “Sanggunian” when he met them, together with all his Cabinet members, at Bahay Pangarap, then he is wrong.
I laughed when I heard Lady Gaga of Malacañang proclaim that there was no deal with the Iglesia.
Right from the start, when the police surrounding the Iglesia rallyists came without their usual shields and truncheons aimed at dispersing an unruly crowd, I realized that they must have gotten instructions from higher-ups not to threaten the INC members.
Note that the police is still under Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, who has not yet resigned since the President still wants him in his post.
Santa Banana, to think that Mar is already campaigning nationwide using government resources and public funds!
All these became more pronounced when the INC rallyists went to Edsa, to taunt the government to dismiss Justice Secretary Leila de Lima. They want De Lima’s head, they say, because of her inordinate attention to the case filed by expelled Iglesia Minister Isaias Samson for his and his family’s illegal detention and abduction by the INC Council.
Damn the business establishments, the motorists and commuters.
It was definitely a show of clout. Thus, for Malacañang now to say there was no deal insults our intelligence. In this instance alone, President Aquino has lost all his credibility. People no longer believe him.
Now, what was the deal? According to inside sources, the Iglesia leaders wanted De Lima out. This is so that her successor could dribble the ball on the Samson case until the new Justice Secretary finds “no probable cause” and hence is not able to proceed with the case.
I saw this happening when I heard that one of the concessions given by the President to Iglesia was for the early resignation of De Lima on the pretext that she would like to start campaigning for her senatorial bid.
Another concession given to INC was that government would not interfere with the internal problems of Felix Manalo’s church. Santa Banana, not even when a crime is committed like the illegal detention and abduction of Samson and his family, and also other Iglesia ministers, who were similarly detained and abducted? That is truly pandering to the INC!
On the part of the President, what did he get from the deal? Support for Mar Roxas and administration candidates, considering the bloc votes of no less than 3 million Iglesia members nationwide and worldwide. This was most likely a deal “made in heaven” for Malacañang.
Note how ecstatic the Iglesia spokesman was when the INC rallies were dispersed early Monday morning. My gulay, they even held a Thanksgiving “Samba!”
According to my sources, it was all scripted by a Global City PR outfit for Mar headed by an American publicist and PR expert. What made me believe in this conspiracy theory is the fact that De Lima took it upon herself to attend to Samson’s case when she could have DoJ prosecutors attend to it as is normally done. Inordinate attention, indeed.
Naturally, since the Iglesia did not want these things to be made public, the Council reacted violently by ordering to seek the ouster of De Lima for alleged interference in its internal affairs. They invoked “separation of Church and State” in the process.
But both cases are criminal offenses.
So, it was all Moro Moro after all. The first one was that botched hostage rescue at the Luneta that resulted in the killing of 8 Hong Kong tourists. Despite De Lima’s findings that people around the President should be criminally and administratively charged, the President thumbed down her findings. That was a clear slap on De Lima. But she did not resign, loving her job as Malacañang’s attack dog to the very end.
The bribery of members of Congress to impeach, and finally convict and oust Chief Justice Renato Corona was also a Moro Moro. And so was that charge of plunder against former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to make her the President’s poster girl for Daang Matuwid. Likewise, the indictment and detention of three minority senators were also part of the script to make the President look like a reformist.
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In order to understand how the Iglesia Ni Cristo works today compared to decades ago when Ka Erdie Manalo ruled as the Executive Minister and the ordained successor of founder Felix Manalo, INC now works as a corporate sole. The policy comes from a Board of Directors, called the “Sanggunian” or Council, managed by the Executive Director, likened to a President and Chief Executive Officer—Eduardo Manalo.
Because of its worldwide membership and Council with political clout, the Council cut off the powers of Ka Erdie’s widow and family except that of Eduardo as Executive Minister as CEO. Santa Banana, they were even expelled.
As a result, according to sources, there was discontent among its ministers, who were faithful to Ka Erdie, his widow and his other children whose powers were removed. Some ministers and members were expelled when they started questioning some of the Council’s moves, like buying a 747 Boeing used by the Executive Minister and the Council to visit their churches worldwide, and the construction of the Philippine Arena in Bulacan.
Thus, when the Aquino administration started to look into charges of graft committed by those in power within the church, INC leaders were alarmed. They had to find out which ministers were still loyal to the church. It was a hakot crowd.
In other words, the Council had to do something to prevent the Aquino government from opening a Pandora’s Box within the Iglesia that could endanger its future worldwide.
I also heard that the Executive Minister even sent many of its ministers and council members to go abroad to take up doctorates in philosophy to enhance their influence and clout.
In short, the Iglesia of yesterday is no longer the Iglesia today.