THE Palace said Friday it will not take “an adversarial position” against the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) despite its protest actions in front of the Justice Department this week to demand the resignation of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.
“[The] government’s duty is to ensure that the laws of the land are complied with and does not wish to interfere in the internal affairs of any legitimate organization,” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., in a statement issued Friday.
“[The] government is not taking an adversarial position against the INC whose contributions to national development and demonstration of civic consciousness are duly acknowledged,” Coloma added.
“We trust that expressions of dissent will continue to be peaceful, orderly and not in any way disruptive of normal activities of our citizenry,” Coloma also said.
De Lima chose not to show up at the Justice Department office in Manila Friday after protesters massed up along Padre Faura Street.
“The Justice secretary is not in the DoJ. She is out attending a meeting and we do not know if she will be returning later,” said Justice Undersecretary Jose Justiniano.
Justiniano said operations inside the DoJ have not been disrupted, but said employees felt the situation was “not normal.”
“Nothing changed, but restrictions implemented in the entry and exit of the DoJ,” he said.
Reporters have been barred from going to the second floor of the building where De Lima’s office is located.
About 3,000 INC members joined the vigil that started Thursday.
The INC has accused De Lima of meddling with the internal affairs of the religious group for ordering an investigation into the alleged abductions of its members. AFP
There was no word from INC officials when the protests would end.
Two politicians—Vice President Jejomar Binay and Senator Francis Escudero—took the INC side and urged the Justice Department to refrain from meddling in church affairs.
“We cannot fault the INC for resorting to mass action to protect the independence of their church from a clear act of harassment and interference from the administration,” the Vice President said in a statement.
“Religious freedom is guaranteed by our Constitution. Yet the administration chose to trample on this sacred right. What we are seeing are people fighting for their faith,” Binay said.
“As public officials, it is our duty to respect the internal affairs and concerns of the INC and allow them, without the unwarranted interference from government, to conduct their own business in accordance with their religious beliefs. No less than our Constitution guarantees this inviolable separation of church and state,” he said.
Escudero said instead of focusing on what could be “purely an internal problem” within the INC, De Lima should give priority to completing the investigation into the bloody Mamasapano massacre in which 44 police commandos were killed.
Escudero said De Lima should uphold the principle of separation of the church and state.
He said the Justice Department’s investigation of the controversy surrounding the INC may be misinterpreted as an interference and infringement of the right to religious freedom guaranteed under the Constitution.
He said it may be a prudent to first let the leadership of the INC resolve what appears to be a purely internal matter.
“We don’t want to see any divisiveness and misunderstanding at this time,” he said.
The senator said it has been seven months since the Mamasapano massacre yet there was no complete picture of what really transpired.
“The case has long been pending….I hope the public will see the conclusion of the case at the Department of Justice so that those responsible should be made answerable.” – With Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta