Over P1B bank loans for the Iglesia ni Cristo’s Philippine Arena? -Rappler

MILLIONS IN LOANS? Documents show that key INC officials were signatories in loan agreements to fund the Ciudad de Victoria project, which includes the Philippine arena.

The late INC executive minister Eraño Manalo once said, 'Ang Iglesia ni Cristo ay walang utang kahit na saang bangko. Ang Iglesia ni Cristo ay hindi nagsasanla ng mga titulo ng lupa para lamang makakuha ng pondo.'

By Katerina Francisco for RAPPLER

Published 12:59 PM, July 27, 2016 
(INC 102 Founding Anniversary)

MANILA, Philippines – It was touted as a world-class structure fit to showcase the growing clout of homegrown Philippine church Iglesia ni Cristo (INC). On Wednesday, July 27, the influential church celebrates its 102nd year.

Two years ago in 2014, the Iglesia opened the Philippine Arena, the world’s largest indoor theater, to widespread attention: an P8.7-billion ($200 million) megastructure that served as the centerpiece of the sprawling 75-hectare Ciudad de Victoria complex in Bulacan.

Conceived, designed, and envisioned as a world-class stage for local and international events, the arena has played host to several events: from the INC’s centennial celebrations, to a concert by local celebrity tandem AlDub, and a performance by American pop superstar Katy Perry.

An expert on sociology of religion, Jayeel Cornelio said of the Iglesia ni Cristo in a previous interview that the Philippine Arena "is an establishment, is a marker, of what they (INC) are right now in the 21st century. They're not a religion in the Philippines. They're a religion in the world.”

Funds for the arena, the INC said, came from the donations of its members, a practice that aligns with the teachings of the church’s second executive minister, the late Eraño “Ka Erdy” Manalo.

In some of his messages to INC members, Ka Erdy had emphasized that the INC should spend within its means, and denounced the idea of the church incurring debts to fund its projects.

Documents obtained by Rappler, however, showed that INC officials had engaged in agreements with two banks, to obtain a P1.137 billion loan to partially fund the construction of Phase 1 of the Ciudad de Victoria project.

According to recitals in the loan documents, Phase 1 of the project includes the construction of a “multi-purpose indoor arena, and certain commercial and retail buildings and structures.”

But several amendments to the agreements showed that INC leaders had asked for additional amounts of up to P3 billion to repay the existing loan.

To secure these loan agreements, at least 61 INC-owned properties – ranging from church sites to residential and agricultural areas in Metro Manila, Nueva Ecija, Rizal, Cavite, and Baguio – were put up as mortgaged collateral.

In addition to this, 317 condominium units in Quezon City, with a total market value of more than P1 billion, were also included as collateral.

Up to P3 billion requested

Based on the documents, the INC was one of the parties in loan agreements entered into by the Maligaya Development Corporation (MDC) with two banks: the Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company (MBTC) and the Asia United Bank Corporation (AUB).

MDC, the borrower, was represented by Glicerio Santos IV, while the INC was represented by the church’s auditor, Glicerio Santos Jr. (READ: Part 1: Who is Glicerio Santos Jr in the Iglesia ni Cristo?)

Santos Jr was also the signatory for the Felix Y. Manalo Foundation (FMF) and the New Era University (NEU).

According to the memorandum of agreement among MDC, NEU, and INC, the church agreed to turnover the completion of Phase 1 of the Ciudad de Victoria project to NEU, with the participation of MDC.

NEU and MDC were to take part in the “financing, construction and development” of the project.

To finance this, MDC acted as borrower in a March 2014 omnibus loan and security agreement with lender MBTC. The latter agreed to provide P1,137,500,000 to partially fund the construction and development of Phase 1 of the project.

But in July 2014, MDC requested for P750 million from MBTC to repay its existing loan.

A month after that, MDC and MBTC entered into a second amendment to the omnibus agreement. MDC sought up to P3 billion to repay its existing loan, putting the total principal amount to up to P4,887,500,000.

Mortgaged collateral

To secure the loan, MDC and the third party mortgagors (those who mortgage their property) – INC and FMF – provided additional mortgaged collateral, covering 61 INC-owned properties. These properties ranged from church sites to agricultural properties to residential ones, located in various areas in Metro Manila, Nueva Ecija, Cavite, and Baguio.

In addition to this, 317 units owned by the INC in LIG Condominium in Quezon City were included as additional mortgaged collateral. According to the appraisal report, the units have a total market value of P1,000,317,000.

The condominium certificates of title for several units in LIG stated that the units were mortgaged to guarantee the P3-billion loan from MBTC.

These were also the same set of properties mortgaged for a P2 billion loan – this time from AUB.

In March 2014, MDC also entered into an agreement with AUB for a similar purpose: to request P1.137 billion to partially fund the construction of the Ciudad de Victoria phase 1 project.

A subsequent amendment to the agreement had MDC requesting for an additional P750 million to repay its existing loan with AUB. A second amendment asked for an additional amount of up to P2 billion, putting the total principal amount to up to P3,887,500,000.

In its agreements with AUB, the Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company-Trust Banking Group acted as collateral agent, with the INC, FMF, and other registered owners of the mortgaged collateral as third party mortgagors.

Separate mortgage supplements with AUB and with MBTC also identified two agricultural properties in Barangay Maligaya, San Miguel, Bulacan as part of mortgaged collateral.

Both properties listed several INC ministers as owners. In one of them, the names of Benefrido C. Santiago, Bienvenido C. Santiago, Glicerio B. Santos Jr, Arnel A. Tumanan, and Lowell C. Menorca were mentioned.

Lowell C. Menorca is the father of former INC evangelical worker Lowell Menorca II, who fled the Philippines with his family citing alleged harassment from the church leadership.

In an email to Rappler, the younger Menorca said that he only learned about the Bulacan property fairly recently. He also said that his father had acted as a “custodian” of the property.

“As far as I know, it was under internal arrangement within the Church Administration and the INC Legal Department because he never claimed it to be his nor profited from it, he was probably just a custodian of the property as a trustee of the Executive Minister,” he said.

Menorca added that it was “common practice” for Sanggunian ministers to be named as owners of church properties, because they were among those trusted by the executive minister.

Letter from EVM

While the loan agreements made it clear that it was the two Santoses who were signatories, the loans were made with the knowledge of the current executive minister, Eduardo Manalo.

In a notarized resolution dated February 10, 2014, Manalo acknowledged that the INC had entered into a memorandum of agreement with NEU and MDC for the Ciudad de Victoria project, and that the INC and NEU have agreed to “give the required collateral securities to secure such financing from the Project lenders.”

Corporate Resolution No. 02-2014 further stated that MDC has proposed to secure “one or more loan and credit facilities” from banks to obtain the aggregate principal amount of up to P3.5 billion to partially finance the project.

It added that the INC has agreed to provide the required collateral securities and letters of support for MDC after having “independently satisfied itself that it will derive direct and indirect economic benefit from the arrangements contemplated in the agreements for the Loan Facilities and that the execution by it of said agreements will result in corporate benefits to it.”

This resolution from Manalo showed that he was aware of, and approved entering into the loan agreements, even as his late father had denounced the idea of the church incurring any debts.

In one of his speeches, Ka Erdy declared that the church has never started on a project without first ensuring that it had enough funds.

“Pagka mayroong ipagagawa ang Iglesia, tinitingnan muna namin ang kabang yaman, tinatanong ko muna ang may hawak ng pananalapi, kaya ba ng Iglesia? Nung ipagawa ang templo, wala kayong narinig, wala kaming isinerkular, ‘Mga kapatid, umabuloy kayo para doon sa ginagawang templo,’ hindi po,” he said.

(Whenever the Iglesia was planning to have something built, we first look at our treasury, we ask if the Iglesia can afford it. When we had the temple constructed, you did not hear anything from us, we did not issue circulars asking you to donate for the temple.)

“Hindi kami humingi ng karagdagan sapagka't hindi namin sinimulan ang bagay na ‘yun na hindi sapat ang pananalapi ng Iglesia…Hindi namin kayo ginambala, at lalo naming hindi isinanla ang mga propriedad, mga lupa ng Iglesia,” he added.

(We did not ask for additional contributions, because we do not start any project if the Iglesia does not have sufficient funds for it…We did not bother you, and we did not mortgage the properties and lands of the Iglesia.)

In another message, he said, "Ang Iglesia ni Cristo ay walang utang kahit na saang bangko. Ang Iglesia ni Cristo ay hindi nagsasanla ng mga titulo ng lupa para lamang makakuha ng pondo."

(The Iglesia ni Cristo has no debts to any bank. The Iglesia ni Cristo does not mortgage land titles just to obtain funds.)

Squandered church properties?

While it is normal for corporations to secure bank loans for various uses, the issue for several INC members lies in the fact that the church had once proudly declared that it owed no bank any debts.

No less than Ka Erdy, once the church's highest official, had warned against it, saying in one of his messages that the moment someone incurs debt, "buwisit na ang kanyang buhay."

One Iglesia member said that the INC's involvement in these loan agreements is a big deal for members because it runs counter to Ka Erdy's teachings for the church not to spend beyond its means.

"In the past administration, it was a rule that the church does not borrow money...For the members, they're not used to the fact that the Iglesia has debts. So when this came out, we were shocked," she said.

She added that whispers of the controversy had even started to affect members' donations, with ministers taking to the podium week after week to encourage members to give more offerings.

In the past, she said, one would not even hear the clink of coins in the collection basket, because members were putting in paper bills. But it's not the case these days.

"We're concerned about the church's funds. Utos sa amin ang pagbibigay, pag-aabuloy. Pero papaano kami tutupad sa utos kung nilulustay ang pera? (We are commanded to give offerings to the church. But how we can we follow this if the money is being wasted?)"

Although the INC is not the direct borrower in the loan agreements, she pointed out that some of the church's highest officials are still involved.

Another Iglesia member also said that there seems to be more pressure on members to help with the church's expenses.

"Now we're being asked to chip in, that's very unusual. And when you connect the dots, it seems that perhaps we do have debts. A church is supposed to be non-profit, but you see the Philippine Arena that's not raking in profits. How do you sustain it?"

While it is not clear if the MDC had received and made full use of the billions it requested from the banks, the documents showed that church leaders requested at least P1.137 billion to partially finance the construction of the Philippine Arena and other related development included in Phase 1 of the Ciudad de Victoria project.

The arena, constructed at a staggering cost of P8.7 billion, was envisioned to be a prime venue for concerts, sports events, and conferences. It even has 8 private rooms, offering VIP guests with special viewing decks and plush theater seats. (FAST FACTS: Iglesia ni Cristo's Philippine Arena)

So far, the arena – located north of the Philippines’ capital region – has hosted only a handful of big-ticket events. Based on its website, its latest event was the Maligaya Summer Blast, held last May.

The arena has also been used for some of the church’s evangelical missions and activities.

An INC insider also said that some of the mortgaged property were housing for church ministers, but added that these ministers have no choice but to stay silent about their concerns, for fear that they might be kicked out of their residential units.

Rappler has repeatedly sought comment from the INC, but has yet to receive a reply as of posting.

For his part, Menorca criticized how the church’s properties were “squandered” under the current leadership.

“It is so saddening that after all these years, all the properties and monumental successes of the Church under the previous Executive Minister, were shamefully squandered away after decades of careful and meticulous stewardship,” he said.

He added, “We continue to hope and pray that the whole truth will be revealed, not to further humiliate the church but to finally expose the wrongdoings inside the church administration in order to put a stop to it and hopefully restore the church to its pristine condition.” – Rappler.com

Ex-INC minister's house help: Leaders force my family to lie -Rappler

Kung ang KASINUNGALINGAN ang sinasaligan ng pamunuan ng Iglesia Ni Cristo®, marapat lamang na hindi karapat-dapat na na ikabit ang pangalan ni CRISTO na Panginoon at Diyos sa kanyang pangalan sapagkat sila ay mga alagad ng KASAMAAN at KADILIMAN! Naghahari na ngayon si Satasa sa INC™ in Manalo! Panalangin sana namin na lisanin na ito bago pa man kayo mapahamak sa kasamaan nito.

Halina't bumalik na kayo sa tunay na Iglesia ni Cristo-- ang IGLESIA KATOLIKA!

Ex-INC minister's house help: Leaders force my family to lie

(2nd UPDATE [Source: Rappler]) 'Napakasakit po. Nagagalit ako sa mga Sanggunian,' says Abegail Yanson, house help of ex-INC minister Lowell Menorca, in a video obtained by Rappler

MANILA, Philippines (2nd UPDATE) – Abegail Yanson, the house help of former Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) minister Lowell Menorca, insisted she was not abducted by her boss as she denied the claims of her own parents.

In a video obtained by Rappler, a tearful Yanson belied claims that Menorca abducted her. She added that the INC’s Sanggunian (Council), or top leadership, is forcing her family to lie.

“Walang katotohanan na hindi ako pinapayagang umuwi,” Yanson said in the video provided by incdefenders.org. (It’s not true that I'm not allowed to go home)

Reacting to the video, INC spokesman Brother Edwil Zabala said in a text message to Rappler: "As stated earlier, we are confident that the truth shall prevail in this current controversy and that our officials will be vindicated by our judicial system. We continue to pray for all those affected by, and involved in, these cases."

Zabala added: “Mahirap na pag-usapan ito sa media dahil ang mga taong nasasangkot lalo na ay nakapagbigay na ng kanilang mga judicial affidavits sa Court of Appeals. Ang mga bagay pong ito ay sub judice na. Ang sinuman na mangangahas na gumamit ng anumang mga pahayag na kasalukuyang dinidinig ay maaaring ma-contempt."

(It is difficult to talk about this in media because the persons involved, most especially, have submitted their judicial affidavits to the Court of Appeals. These cases are now sub judice. Whoever dares to use any statement that is being heard, can be cited in contempt.)

Menorca faces a serious illegal detention complaint for supposedly prohibiting Yanson from seeing her family since being brought to Manila from Bulan, Sorsogon, last July. (READ: INC minister Lowell Menorca: The story of my kidnapping)

But Yanson said it was her own decision to stay. “Sinasabihan na po ako ni Ka Jinky [Menorca, wife of Lowell Menorca]: 'Ano Abby, uuwi ka na ba?' Pero hindi ko po kayang iwan si Ka Jinky dahil nararamdaman ko po, may mangyayaring hindi maganda sa akin o sa kay Ka Jinky kaya hindi ko po sinunod na uuwi ako. Nanatili ako sa kanila,” she said.

(Ka Jinky told me: 'Abby, are you going home?' But I couldn’t leave Ka Jinky behind because I already felt that something bad was going to happen to me or to Ka Jinky. That’s why I didn’t go home. I chose to stay with them.)

'Takot silang matiwalag'

Yanson said her family, including her parents who filed the case against Menorca, are being used by the Sanggunian. “Sana palayain na po silang… hayaan 'nyo po silang pasalitain na wala pong bantay… Masakit po para sa akin na makita ko 'yung mga magulang ko sa TV na puro kasinungalingan ang sinasabi laban sa mag-asawa,” she said.

(Let them go. Let them speak without someone guarding them. It’s painful for me to see my parents on TV spewing lies against the Menorcas.)

Yanson added: “Napakasakit po. Nagagalit ako sa mga Sanggunian. Sobrang nagagalit po ako kasi magulang ko na po 'yung hawak, kapatid ko… tapos po kung anu-ano po ang salitang pinagsasabi nila na alam nilang hindi totoo. Kaya po nila sinasabi 'yun dahil tinatakot sila. Tinatakot silang matiwalag.”

(It pains me. I am angry at the Sanggunian. I am very angry because they’re controlling my parents, my sibling… and they force them to tell these lies under threat. They’re threatening to kick them out of INC.)

“Tiwalag” is a term that refers to those expelled from the INC.

Yanson ended her video with a message to her parents and the INC's leadership.

"Ma, Pa… alam 'nyo namang hindi magagawa sa akin 'yan ng mag-asawa. Na kidnapin ako, i-detain ako, pilitin nila akong isama. Napakabait nila sa atin, sa mga kapatid, sa akin… alam 'nyo na alam ko na hindi nila kayang gawin 'yan sa akin. 'Wag kayong magpagamit, sabihin 'nyo ang totoo. Nananawagan ako sa INC, sa Sanggunian. Hayaan 'nyo po ang magulang at kapatid ko, hayaan 'nyo na silang magsalita ng katotohanan. Huwag 'nyo po sanang pilitin pa sila sa mga kasinungalingan lalo na’t hindi totoo dahil ako po mismo ang kusang sumama kay Ka Jinky, sa mag-asawa."

(Ma, Pa, you know that the Menorca couple would never do that to me – kidnap me, detain me, force me to go with them. They've been so kind to us, to our brethren, to me. You know that I know they would never harm me. Don't allow yourselves to be used, tell the truth. I call on the INC, the Sanggunian, to let my parents and sibling be. Let them speak the truth. Don't force them to lie because I chose to stay with Ka Jinky out of my own will.)

Detained minister

Menorca is among the former INC officials who were supposedly ordered detained by the local church’s top brass, over a scandal that has rocked the influential religious group. His detention was allegedly because of his criticisms of the INC’s leadership, which is being accused of pocketing the group’s funds for their own benefit.

The Menorca family – Lowell, Jinky, and other members of their household – were rescued late October after months of supposedly being held against their will inside the INC compound in Quezon City.

The Supreme Court later on issued writs of habeas corpus and amparo for Menorca, his wife, Yanson, and Yurie Keiko Otsuka.

Menorca's lawyer, Trixie Cruz Angeles, previously told the Court of Appeals that a woman, supposedly from the police's Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, had tried to force Yanson to come with her during the hour-long recess in the proceedings. Angeles said this was proof that her clients need the protection offered by a writ of amparo.

The INC's lawyer belied those claims, saying the commotion was only because Yanson's mother was stopped from approaching her daughter. Yanson herself said she did not know the woman who approached her.

The serious illegal detention case against Menorca was filed the day after Menorca faced the CA for the first hearing on the former minister's petition for writs of habeas corpus and amparo. – Rappler.com

ABS-CBN: Masked INC members hold protest in California

Photo Source: Inquirer.net

Steve Angeles, ABS-CBN North America News Bureau

Posted at 11/02/15 1:06 PM

CALIFORNIA – About a hundred current and former members of Iglesia ni Cristo convened outside the district headquarters in Anaheim, California, to continue demands for a more transparent church.

Dressed in masks, active and expelled members of INC picketed outside the INC Southern California District Office over the weekend.

While the members didn't speak much, their signs said it all.

''All they have to do is just come out and explain, be transparent with what's going on inside the church,'' said expelled member Richard Vasquez.

''All we're looking for is just the truth. We're not here to go against anybody. We're just against the corruption. If there's no corruption just stand up and say there's no corruption and prove it and stand by your word."

For the active INC members, joining such action put them at risk of being expelled from the church. But for the chance to stop any alleged corruption, it's a risk they're willing to take.

"They just want to make a point, when it comes to what we're doing here. So maybe perhaps they're scared or afraid but that is only because that's what the church administration is instilling in their heart -- that they should be afraid or scared. But we're not scared to expose the truth,'' Vasquez said.

Since allegations of church corruption and abductions surfaced earlier this year, some members have expressed their opinions.

Church leaders, however, said these actions are against the teachings of the INC and that the protestors have already been given explanations by the church administration.

''Clearly their intention in holding this demonstration is to cause division in the church, to further their misguided cause. This is to cause doubts among the members of the church. We're not going to stand and do nothing about it,'' INC resident minister Gino Ramilo said.

Leaders said members who are identified during these protest actions would be subject to due process that could eventually lead to expulsion.

''We try to teach them again the doctrines recorded in the bible. But if they make that choice, if they make that decision to continue to do something to disrupt the unity, you're no longer a Christian, you're no longer a follower of Christ,'' said INC minister Julius Malabanan.

This latest action comes after former INC minister Lowell Menorca II filed cases against several INC leaders over his alleged abduction.

Ex-INC™ Minister Lowell Menorca II bares it all against the notorious Sanggunian of the Iglesia Ni Cristo®

Source: Inquirer.net

The expelled minister of Iglesia ni Cristo who recently surfaced said that members of the Sanggunian, the highest administrative council of the powerful church, wanted him killed.

Facing the media on Sunday, Lowell Menorca II recounted the attempt on his life which took place in Dasmarinas City in Cavite province on July 17.

Menorca said that he was made to sit in an empty car when suddenly, a “round thing,” which was later identified as a hand grenade, was thrown inside the vehicle.

“After alighting the coaster, they made me sit in a car. They locked the door and immediately they left the scene. The driver of another car went to the backside and threw a round thing inside the car, at the backseat. I knew that it was a grenade,” Menorca said.

When the grenade did not go off, another alleged police officer was sent to kill him.

“When we were already in an isolated area, he was looking for a gun. That’s when I begged him. Sabi ko, ‘Please don’t kill me. Maawa ka na sa akin, sir. Ang katunayan po ay ministro ako ng Iglesia ni Cristo at may asawa po ako at isang anak.’ I was already crying to him. Sabi ko, ‘I am not a bad person. Huwag niyo naman po sanang hayaan na lumaki ang anak ko na walang ama,’” he said.

Menorca was able to persuade the officer not to kill him but it came with a price: he has to face a criminal charge of illegal possession of firearms.

“What was left for me to negotiate? So I said yes,” he said.

Menorca was arrested in Dasmariñas City on July 17 after allegedly threatening two construction workers with a hand grenade. He was freed on July 25 through INC lawyer Allen Blair Boy where he was subsequently brought to the INC compound in Quezon City.

Hours before the attempt on his life, Menorca and his wife were whisked away from their residence in Bulan, Sorsogon in a six-vehicle convoy after a church service on July 17. Officers from the Quezon City police were allegedly present during their abduction.

During the 17-hour travel from Sorsogon to Dasmarinas, the former minister said that he was repeatedly interrogated about a certain Antonio Ebangelista, a pseudonym of a blogger who revealed the alleged corruption inside the church’s ranks. Aside from the emotional turmoil he endured, Menorca sustained wounds from the handcuffs which cut his wrists.

“I asked them repeatedly to loosen the handcuffs because it hurt so much, my shoulders were about to fall off, my hands were bleeding. I kept on begging the police officers to even just remove my handcuffs, I’m not gonna fight them, they were all with guns.”

Lowell Menorca II (L) and wife Jinky Otsuka. INQUIRER.net

“I was begging and begging them for the life of my wife and my child. I just asked them, ‘Do whatever you want to me, just leave them alone.’ I asked them and begged them, whatever they want me to say, whatever they want me to admit, whether true or not, I will (admit it). They can shoot me if they want, they can kill me if they want, just leave my wife and my daughter alone. I asked where they were, they couldn’t give me anything, only trying to pacify me with the words saying ‘Okay lang sila,’” a sobbing Menorca said.

The officers even ridiculed him, joking that the convoy carrying his wife and daughter were intercepted by rebels.

Menorca claimed that he was detained by the members of the Sanggunian because he was being suspected to be one of the ministers who are critical of the church leadership.

“For three months we were there, for three months we were incarcerated. We were never free to go out even though they promised us, ‘Okay we can slowly introduce you to the outside world, slowly everything will be normal.’ I told them, ‘I don’t want my child growing up knowing that we are prisoners here’,” he said.

On October 21, Menorca and his family were “rescued” from an undisclosed house in Quezon City. In a video which was sent to INQUIRER.net on October 25, Menorca confirmed that they were kidnapped by the INC, saying that his statements in previous interviews were fed to him by the church leadership.

Menorca said that the order of the Supreme Court (SC) forcing INC to produce Menorca and his loved ones in court expedited his release.

The SC granted the petition of writs of amparo and habeas corpus filed by Menorca’s brother Anthony and Jungko Otsuka, the twin sister of the former minister’s wife, Jinky, on October 25.

Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/734319/ex-minister-iglesia-ni-cristo-leadership-wanted-me-killed#ixzz3pupolH6N
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The Iglesia Ni Cristo® was "founded by clan patriarch Felix Manalo in 1914" says Inquirer

Council of Nicea (Source: Shoebat)

Believe in the Bible? Whose Bible? Which version? What Translation? Not all Bibles are the same. Protestant Bibles are all incomplete and wrong while the origin of it, the Catholic Versions are the genuine one. And for most of the times, the INC™ of Felix Manalo carefully uses different Protestant Bible Versions to accommodate and justify their man-made doctrines.

And while the original Bible is always TRUE, those who corruptly translated it, and deceitfully interpreted it make it utterly BAD, really BAD, just like how Eduardo V. Manalo and his paid Ministers translated it as they pleased.

Believe the Bible, not detractors, Iglesia leader exhorts members

BOCAUE, Bulacan [Inquirer.net] —Iglesia ni Cristo executive minister Eduardo Manalo has urged church members not to believe allegations against the INC, saying that it is the Bible, not other people, that speaks the truth.

Addressing INC members in an evangelical mission at the church-owned Ciudad de Victoria complex on Saturday, Manalo said accusations putting the 101-year-old church in a bad light should be spurned by its followers.

“If what they say is true, you should not be seeing what is happening now. That is proof that this church has a God, (that) God is with us in this activity,” Manalo said.

Controversy has hounded the INC after some of its officials exposed alleged corruption in the church. The exposé linking some members of the church’s powerful governing council came after Manalo’s mother, Cristina “Tenny” Manalo, and brother, Felix Nathaniel “Angel” Manalo, were expelled.

The church was founded by clan patriarch Felix Manalo in 1914.

Expelled minister Isaias Samson Jr., an expelled minister and former editor of the INC publication Pasugo, sued eight church leaders after he and his family were allegedly held under house arrest. Samson said the INC leaders suspected him of publishing a blog criticizing the church.

Manalo, in his address that was broadcast to other INC venues, said: “If there’s a truth that you should believe in, it is what the Bible says, and not what people say.”

“The INC is the church which has hope … this church will inherit the Kingdom of Christ on the day of judgment because our church has a connection with God,” Manalo said.

“God has been fulfilling His promise to His messenger (‘sugo’) from the start… the Iglesia ni Cristo will be saved, God said it Himself. It came from the Bible, not from me,” Manalo said.

The venues—the 55,000-seat Philippine Arena and the 25,000-seat Philippine Sports Stadium—were filled before the event started at 7 p.m.

Read more: Iquirer.net

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TIME: Pope Francis and the New Roman Empire

Pope Francis waves to the crowd as he arrives in Bosnia
and Herzegovina for a Mass in 2015. (Time.com)

[Source: TIME]- From Cuba to climate change, he has revitalized the Vatican’s role in global diplomacy. Now he’s bringing his activist agenda to the U.S.

History sometimes turns on little things– a single bullet, a spy’s blurry photograph–and on Aug. 25, 2014, Cardinal Jaime Ortega y Alamino of Havana arrived at the White House to deliver one such object. Ortega had gone to great lengths to cover his tracks. His name does not appear in official White House visitor logs, and he had even arranged an event at Georgetown University that day to explain his presence in the capital. When he arrived at the West Wing he was quickly shown to a secluded patio outside the Oval Office, where President Barack Obama, White House chief of staff Denis McDonough and two other top aides greeted him.

After dispensing with the formalities, the Cardinal took out a letter from Pope Francis to Obama. Ortega informed the Americans that he had delivered the same message days earlier in person to Cuban President Raúl Castro. And then Ortega began to read the Pope’s words out loud. Francis expressed his support for diplomatic talks the U.S. and Cuba had secretly been pursuing in an effort to end a half-century of hostility. He encouraged the two nations to resolve the issue of prisoners, a key sticking point in negotiations. And he offered the Vatican’s assistance to help the two countries overcome their decades of distrust and confrontation.

Francis’ letter was as simple as that, but it made a difference. Two months later, Obama and Castro took Francis up on his offer, dispatching top officials to the privacy of the Vatican for a five-hour session in which they hammered out the details of an agreement to restore full diplomatic relations. And when Obama and Castro sealed the historic deal by telephone on Dec. 16, 2014, they found common ground expressing their gratitude to the Pope. Most important, the Pope’s letter offered symbolic shelter for both sides as they weighed the political costs of reconciliation. Francis’ popularity as a religious figure in the U.S. gave Obama cover as he cut a deal with godless communists across the Straits of Florida, while the Pope’s credibility as a Latin American shielded Castro as he got in bed with Yankee capitalists. “[The Cubans] were very clear with us that they saw Pope Francis as different from previous Popes,” says Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes, who was present at the meeting with Ortega and the talks in Rome, “because of his stature as the first Pope from Latin America.”

That difference will be on full display when Francis arrives in Cuba on Sept. 19, ahead of a five-day historic visit to the U.S., and it is key to understanding not just who he is but how he is leading the Vatican on the world stage 30 months into his reign. Francis, 78, rose to prominence as a church leader in the unruly world of Latin American politics of the 1960s and 1970s, and his life and outlook are the products of the developing world. He has never been to the U.S., and his only papal trip to a developed Western country so far was a four-hour stopover in France, the shortest ever by a Pope. Instead he has focused on his spiritual base, traveling almost exclusively to so-called Global South nations, including Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Bolivia and Brazil.

That perspective has infused Vatican diplomacy under Francis with the same paradoxical mix of humility and influence that have defined his papacy so far. Nearly a year after Ortega’s visit, Francis shrugged off his role in the U.S.-Cuba rapprochement, even as he credited divine inspiration for his own part in the talks’ successful outcome. “What could I do with these two who have been going on like this for more than 50 years?” he asked reporters on a return flight from Paraguay to Rome in July. “Then the Lord made me think of a Cardinal, and he went there and talked,” Francis said. “We did hardly anything, only small things.”

But Francis’ small things are proving to be a big deal for the rest of the world. Coaxing U.S.-Cuban reconciliation is just the start: the Pope is making the Holy See a player in the most pressing global issues in a way unseen since the early days of Pope John Paul II. From the outset of his papacy he has drawn attention to the Mediterranean migrant crisis, and in early September he called on Catholic dioceses, including parishes in the Vatican, to house refugee families. Francis routinely speaks out about the persecution of Christians in Syria and Iraq as he pushes for action to end the wars there. He praised the controversial nuclear deal between Iran, the U.S. and five other world powers. His 180-page encyclical on the environment has been called “radical” by one prominent environmentalist and has helped make Francis a perceived front runner for the Nobel Peace Prize. And the State Department has asked the Vatican for help on relocating prisoners from the military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, so that it can be closed, a top Obama priority, senior Administration officials tell TIME. Secretary of State John Kerry “early on saw Francis as a potentially activist foreign policy Pope,” says one senior State official.

Sevilla cited pressure from the politically influential religious group Iglesia ni Cristo to appoint an unqualified candidate to a sensitive position!

"While I’ve seen so many people bashing the Catholic Church over its stand on contraception, abortion, homosexuality, euthanasia, legalized prostitution, and other things, I haven’t seen a lot of people pick a fight with Islam or the Iglesia Ni Cristo over the same things.

We’ve seen Carlos Celdran doing his “performance art” at a Catholic Church, supposedly to protest the Catholic Church’s meddling in government matters — specifically the RH Bill. But what I haven’t seen are people who protest the under worldly maneuverings of members of the Iglesia ni Cristo in politics and government dealings." -Paul Farol

Photo Source: Get Real Post

Source: Opinion Philippine Daily Inquirer 

[Also read an INC™ Minister' Mr. Antonio Ebangelista's expose on the corruption in the Iglesia Ni Cristo® through their Auditor General, Mr. Glicerio "Jun" Santos Jr., rumored illegitimate son of the late Felix Manalo, founder.]

Custom-made mess

BY ALL accounts—even those of grumblers on the sidelines—John Philip Sevilla was a professional who cleaned up the Bureau of Customs and improved the performance of the government’s second-largest revenue-earning agency. It was news, therefore, when he announced his resignation as commissioner of the bureau on Thursday, just three days after denying the swirling rumors that he was quitting. What was even more startling was the reason he gave for resigning.

There was no calibrated diplomatic language to conceal the real reason to the general public, no careful nuancing to avoid offending the powers that be. A young man with a reputation for straight shooting, Sevilla shot straight: He said he quit because of mounting political pressure.

“Politics is in the atmosphere. I could feel strongly [that] political factors are moving in the background,” he told reporters. “In the past months, it was increasingly becoming difficult. In the coming months, it will probably be impossible to [withstand the political pressure]. I am saddened that I could not finish what I had started.”

In particular, Sevilla cited pressure from the politically influential religious group Iglesia ni Cristo to appoint an unqualified candidate to a sensitive position. He did qualify his assertion. “Truth to tell, I find it hard to believe that that is what the Iglesia ni Cristo wants, that the Iglesia ni Cristo is pushing for someone in the Customs. I have a friend who is a member of the Iglesia ni Cristo. I have a relative who is a member of Iglesia ni Cristo. I can’t really imagine that the Iglesia ni Cristo would lobby for government appointments.”

But Sevilla is also not naive. “It’s clear to me that whoever is pushing his appointment is powerful. There’s a strong push for the promotion of their men to very powerful positions here at the Customs. When these things happen, I become suspicious of their motives.”

“His appointment.” That detail bears emphasis, because it is the root of the issue. Sevilla is referring to lawyer Teddy Sandy S. Raval, who heads the bureau’s intellectual property rights division and is widely reputed within the agency to be the Iglesia ni Cristo’s candidate for the position of chief of enforcement and security services (ESS).

“I objected to that appointment,” Sevilla said. “I said, ‘Look, I know that’s within the powers of the President, but I don’t agree that it’s a good idea.” An Inquirer source said Raval was not qualified “mainly because he has no military or police intelligence background,” and because he has a certain reputation. Despite Sevilla’s objections, and those of the so-called reform group within Customs, Malacañang still insisted.

“Very recently, I learned of the plan to go ahead with the appointment of Attorney Raval as director of ESS,” Sevilla said at the Thursday news conference. That must have been the last straw. To continue the efficiency and anticorruption reforms in Customs, a commissioner must have an enforcement official he can fully trust; for Malacañang to insist on appointing someone the commissioner objected to is tantamount to a withdrawal of confidence in the commissioner. Perhaps because the Aquino administration is now used to its allies refusing to leave office despite pending corruption cases or obvious conflicts of interest, it did not expect Sevilla to resign despite the withdrawal of support.

But Sevilla tendered his resignation to President Aquino on Wednesday—and blew the lid open.

The simple assertion that politics is involved in the impending appointment of a new chief enforcement official in Customs is a challenge to the Aquino administration. Does it still believe in its “daang matuwid” (straight path) policy of governance? The straight path does not only mean not taking bribes; it also means serving the public interest, not the much narrower interest of a specific group.

Sevilla has done an impressive job at Customs; too bad his reward from Malacañang is a knife in the back.

At least he was able to open the Pandora’s box of election-related political pressure: Let an ungrateful administration deal with the pestilences released.

Read more: http://opinion.inquirer.net/84466/custom-made-mess#ixzz3YU13D5kb
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Osmeña admits INC™ is influencing government appointments

What a SHAME for the Iglesia Ni Cristo®... shame for Mr. Glicerio "Jun" Santos Jr. who "talking to politicians and placing brethren in government positions" according to one of INC,s™ ministers who recently exposed the corruption within Manalo's founded Church.

“Ah, malakas ang influence ng Iglesia. Di ko naman sinasabing mali ang ginagawa nila. Siyempre kung mayroon naman silang irerekomenda, there’s nothing wrong with that. But to give in and to call it a political pressure ay hindi tama, so kasalanan ng Palasyo yun. Bakit sila nag-give in?”

Iglesia ni Cristo has sway in government agencies, Osmeña admits

GMA Network - Senator Sergio Osmeña III on Sunday acknowledged the influence of Iglesia ni Cristo in government agencies as he lamented the resignation of Customs Commissioner John Phillip Sevilla, who did so citing political pressure.

In an interview over dzBB radio, Osmeña said he was not surprised by Sevilla’s admission last week at the press conference where he announced his resignation that the INC was reportedly pushing for the appointment of certain officials in the bureau.

In particular, Sevilla claimed hearing from others that the INC lobbied for the appointment of Customs Intellectual Property head Teddy Raval as head of Enforcement and Security Service.

Reacting to Sevilla’s claim, Osmeña said: “Di ako nagugulat. Talagang ganoon ang sitwasyon sa iba’t ibang ahensya.”

Iglesia Ni Cristo® (INC™) allegedly backed a position for the Customs Commissioner appointment

Separation of Church and State???

In earlier news from Journal Online, it was reported that Mr. John Sevilla's resignation was caused by strong “pressure” to “politicize” the bureau’s operations as the 2016 elections approach and the alleged “strong lobbying” of the religious sect, Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) [emphasis mine] to place its own appointee as the new director of the Customs Police or the Enforcement Security Service (ESS) in the person of Atty. Teddy Raval.

According to Mr. Antonio Ebangelista, Ka Glicerio "Jun" Santos, the "Feeling Executive Minister" and the General Auditor of the Iglesia Ni Cristo®, who "has extolled himself to the level of the Executive Minister" who is the one "who summons the District Minister, approves the release of [INC™] Church funds, the purchase of properties, the selling of properties, making the lessons for the worship services, programs for Missionary and Edification", is the one "talking to politicians and placing brethren in government positions" now a reality! [bold mine]

Ochoa lobbied for INC-backed official's plum appointment at BOC- sources
By: Politiko 

Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa reportedly pushed for the appointment of a Customs official allegedly backed by Iglesia ni Cristo to a lucrative post within the bureau, sources told GMA News. 

According to sources, Ochoa tried to get resigned Customs Commissioner John Phillip Sevilla to appoint Teddy Raval as head of the Bureau of Customs’ intelligence service. 

Sevilla specifically mentioned what he saw are suspicious circumstances surrounding Raval’s appointment as an example of the political pressure that prompted him to quit his post.

“Walang ibang dahilan na binibigay para sa appontment ni Attorney Raval,” he said when he announced his resignation last Thursday. "Malakas ang tulak na ma-promote sa matataas na posisyon sa Customs.” 

"Kapag nangyayari ang ganyan, pinu-push ang ganyan, ako ay nagdududa sa kanilang motivations,” Sevilla added. 

Raval, who previously headed the BOC’s Intellectual Property Rights Division prior to becoming the intelligence services head, reportedly enjoys INC’s support. 

Sources said Ochoa attempted to course Raval’s appointment through a deputy Customs commissioner but the official told him to go to Sevilla, who refused.

Mr. Glicerio Jun Santos is rumored to be the illegitimate son of Felix Manalo according to one blogger.

Iglesia Ni Cristo® detractors say that it was founded by Felix Manalo, really?

Iglesia Ni Cristo would argue that "Only the detractors of the Iglesia Ni Cristo who say that this Church was founded by Brother Felix Y. Manalo." -Iglesia Ni Cristo blogger

Is Philippine Star a detractor of the INC™?

"MANILA, Philippines - Albert Martinez (photo) has withdrawn from the cast of Felix Y. Manalo: The Last Messenger, the historical biopic of Felix Y. Manalo, founder of the Iglesia ni Kristo." -Philippines Star Online

Is Tempo a detractor of the INC™?

"ALBERT IS ‘SUGO’ – Learned from Ms. Shirley Kuan that Albert Martinez is playing Bishop Felix Manalo, founder of the Iglesia Ni Cristo, in “Sugo,”meaning Messenger. Shirley is Albert’s manager." -Tempo

Is NewsInfo Inquirer a detractor of the INC™?

"The INC will mark its 100th year of registration in the Philippines on July 27. The postage stamp shows the INC Central Temple and a portrait of the late Felix Manalo, founder and first executive minister..." -NewsInfo.Inquirer

Is GMA Network News a detractor of the INC™?

"Ordinance No. 2517, which the city council approved in a special session on May 6, renamed a portion of Granja Street into Felix Y. Manalo Street after the founder of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC), one of the country’s influential Christian denominations."-GMANetwork News

Is PDI Online a detractor of the INC™?

"The Philippine Postal Corp. (Philpost) on Saturday launched the Iglesia ni Cristo Centennial Commemorative Stamp at the INC Central Office in Diliman, Quezon City, to mark the 100th anniversary of the church’s registration in the Philippines.In ceremonies held at the INC’s Bulwagan, Postmaster General Ma. Josefina M. de la Cruz and Executive Minister Eduardo V. Manalo unveiled the stamp that features the INC Central Temple and the late Felix Y. Manalo, founder and first executive minister of the INC, in sepia. At the bottom of the stamp is the INC centennial logo in color.."-PDI Online

Is Pasugo a detractor of the INC™?

“Kailan napatala sa Pamahalaan o narehistro ang INK sa Pilipinas? Noong Hulyo 27, 1914. Tunay nga na sinasabi sa rehistro na si Kapatid na F. Manalo ang nagtatag ng INK." - Pasugo Agosto-Setyembre 1964, p. 5

Was INC's SEC Registration a detractor of the INC™?

Iglesia Ni Cristo: a home-grown Philippine Church says WSJ

‘We’re Not a Cult’ Says 100-Year Philippine Church

As Pope Francis tours the Philippines, the home-grown religion Iglesia ni Cristo marks its centennial. WSJ’s Ramy Inocencio asks spokesman Edwil Zabala about marriage, funding and growth. -The Wallstree Journal

Iglesia Ni Cristo, ADD among the 33 Filipino religious organizations in South Korea

According to the Philippine Embassy in South Korea, there are 33 Filipino religious organizations in the country including Iglesia Ni Cristo, El Shaddai, Filipino International Seventh-day Adventist in Korea and Catholic Migrant Center-Exodus Guri. -Philippine Inquirer

Yes, they are Filipino churches with Filipino members!

Albert Martinez will play the "Sugo" as Felix Manalo, FOUNDER of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC-1914)

Who is FELIX MANALO?

Well, according to TEMPO (local tabloid),  Felix is the "FOUNDER OF THE IGLESIA NI CRISTO"!

ALBERT IS ‘SUGO’ – Learned from Ms. Shirley Kuan that Albert Martinez is playing Bishop Felix Manalo, founder of the Iglesia Ni Cristo, in “Sugo,” meaning Messenger. Shirley is Albert’s manager.

“Sugo” will focus on the INC founder, instead of the previous plan which would have also given equal importance to those who followed the INC founder, Bishops Eraño and Eduardo Manalo.

Playing Bishop Felix Manalo’s wife is Dawn Zulueta.

Playdate of “Sugo” is May 2015, in celebration of INC’s 100th year, which started middle of 2014 and ends May of next year.

Directing the epic filmbio is Joel Lamangan.

INC has churches all over the world. It has a university and a hospital in Quezon City, New Era.

Philippine Religious Sect Opens the Largerst Arena

News around the world about the Iglesia ni Cristo- branded as a RELIGIOUS SECT- not as the "true" Church of Christ as they claim. TRUTH prevails!

Times of India:

MANILA: Philippine President Benigno Aquino presided over the opening on Monday of what is billed as the world's largest indoor stadium, erected by a politically-influential religious sect.

The USD 175-million Philippine Arena, which can seat 55,000 people, was hailed as a showcase that will serve as a major venue for concerts and sports events as well as gatherings for its owners, the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ) sect.

Yahoo!News:

"Philippine President Benigno Aquino presided over the opening on Monday of what is billed as the world's largest indoor stadium, erected by a politically-influential religious sect.

The $175-million Philippine Arena, which can seat 55,000 people, was hailed as a showcase that will serve as a major venue for concerts and sports events as well as gatherings for its owners, the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ) sect.

"...The Christian sect also said the stadium will have a capacity about double that of other popular indoor arenas like New York's Madison Square Garden.

"...However the Singapore National Stadium, completed in June, also seats 55,000 people and has been hailed in the press as the world's largest domed structure.

"...The Iglesia ni Cristo sect wields considerable political influence in the Philippines as its members, believed to number about three million people, vote as a bloc for whoever their leaders endorse."

The Straight Times Asia:

MANILA (AFP) - Philippine President Benigno Aquino presided over the opening on Monday of what is billed as the world's largest indoor stadium, erected by a politically-influential religious sect.

The US$175-million (S$218.8 million) Philippine Arena, which can seat 55,000 people, was hailed as a showcase that will serve as a major venue for concerts and sports events as well as gatherings for its owners, the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ) sect.

UCA News:

An increasingly influential Christian sect in the Philippines opened what it claimed to be “the largest theater in the world” on Monday. President Benigno Aquino led the inauguration ceremony at the Philippine Arena north of Manila, where Iglesias ni Cristo (Church of Christ) kicked off its centenary celebrations.

Veooz:

Manila, July 22 (TruthDive): Philippine President Benigno Aquino headed over the opening of what is touted as the world's largest indoor stadium on Monday. The $175-million Philippine Arena can seat 55,000 people and was welcomed as a display cabinet that will function as a main venue for sports events and concerts as well as gatherings for its owners, the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ) sect. By considering the seating capacity of the arena alone, the Philippine Arena is double the size of the largest vaulted arenas in Europe and in the United States.

Business World:

"The $175-million Philippine Arena, which can seat 55,000 people, was hailed as a showcase that will serve as a major venue for concerts and sports events as well as gatherings for its owners, the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ) sect.

"...The Christian sect also said the stadium will have a capacity about double that of other popular indoor arenas like New York’s Madison Square Garden."

The Philippine Arena built by a politically influential religious sect called the Iglesia ni Cristo founded by a self-proclaimed "Last Messenger of God", ex-Catholic, ex-Protestant pastor-- Felix Y. Manalo

Philippine Postal Corporation Honors the Founder of the Iglesia ni Cristo® by issuing Commemorative Stamp on its 100th Year Celebration

PASUGO Enero 1964, p. 6:

“Sino ang tunay na nagtayo ng Iglesia ni Cristo na lumitaw sa Pilipinas noong 1914? Hindi ang kapatid na si Manalo kundi ang Dios at si Cristo."

PASUGO Nobyembre 1940, p. 23:

“Iisa lamang ang tanging makapagtatayo ng Iglesiang magiging dapat sa Dios. Kung sino? -- Ang ating Panginoong Jesu-Cristo lamang! Sinumang tao-- maging marunong o mangmang-- ay walang karapatang magtayo..."

PASUGO Mayo 1968, p. 7:

“Ang tunay na Iglesia ni Cristo ay iisa lamang, ito ang Iglesiang itinayo ni Cristo. Kung mayroon mang nagsisibangon ngayong mga Iglesia at sasabihing sila man ay INK rin ang mga ito ay hindi tunay kundi huwad lamang!"

MANILA, Philippines (PDI Online)—The Philippine Postal Corp. (Philpost) on Saturday launched the Iglesia ni Cristo Centennial Commemorative Stamp at the INC Central Office in Diliman, Quezon City, to mark the 100th anniversary of the church’s registration in the Philippines.

In ceremonies held at the INC’s Bulwagan, Postmaster General Ma. Josefina M. de la Cruz and Executive Minister Eduardo V. Manalo unveiled the stamp that features the INC Central Temple and the late Felix Y. Manalo, founder and first executive minister of the INC, in sepia. At the bottom of the stamp is the INC centennial logo in color. 

The launch coincided with the 128th birth anniversary of Felix Y. Manalo. 

The stamp, 50 millimeters by 35 mm, is bigger than the ordinary-sized 40 mm by 30 mm stamps, which De la Cruz said was “not an arbitrary decision.” 

Twice the number

“It passed through certification by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines,” she said. 

De la Cruz said Philpost will issue 1.2 million of the stamps, which is more than twice the number of stamps they usually issue for a single design. 

After the unveiling, Manalo, De la Cruz and Philpost chair Cesar Sarino participated in the ceremonial signing of the INC stamp’s “first day cover.” 

De la Cruz also presented a souvenir frame of the centennial stamp to the INC leader.

In his speech, Manalo noted the significance of the launch date of the centennial stamp in remembering the founder of the INC and his ministry.