ANO ANG IGLESIA NI CRISTO? ANG PAGBUBUNYAG NG KATOTOHANAN!

(Edited from Ang Pagbubunyag ng Katotohanan by INC™ )

Marami ang hindi lubos na nakababatid sa TUNAY na Iglesia ni Cristo na itinatag mismo ni Cristo at hindi ng taong mula sa Tipas, Taguig. Inaakala ng iba na ang tunay na Iglesia ni Cristo ay katulad lamang ng Iglesia Ni Cristo® na may ibang samahan ng pananampalataya o iba pang relihiyon.

Paano ipinakilala ng Panginoong Jesucristo ang tunay na Iglesia ni Cristo? Basahin natin sa Mateo 16:18 na ganito ang nakasulat,

"At sinasabi ko naman sa iyo, na ikaw ay Pedro, at sa ibabaw ng batong ito ay itatayo ko ang aking iglesia (maliit na titik "i" at hindi malaking titik "I" tulad ng maling pagsipi ng mga INC™); at ang mga pintuan ng Hades ay hindi magsisipanaig laban sa kaniya."

Ipinakilala ni Jesus na Siya ang nagtayo o nagtatag ng Kanyang iglesia. Siya rin ang nagmamay-ari nito-----ito ang diwa ng sinabi ni Cristo na "aking iglesia." Maling-mali ang paggamit ng Iglesia Ni Cristo™ na itinatag ni Felix Y. Manalo sapagkat HINDI si Cristo ang nagtatag nito kundi si Felix Y. Manalo. Ito rin ang dahilan kung bakit sila ay nagbibilang ng ika-104 na TAON NG PAGKAKATATAG sa 2018 sapagkat ang INC™ ay naitatag lamang noong Hulyo 1914 (basahin ang artikulong ito). Isa ring KAMALIAN na sabihin na ang iba't ibang sekta tulad ng INC™, Church of Christ (4th Watch), Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints o Mormon, at iba pang mga "Church of Christ" na NAG-AANGKIN na sila raw ay mga tatag ni Cristo ay Kaniya.

Ipinakilala ni Apostol San Pablo na ang mga kaanib sa Iglesia ay pawang kay Cristo:

"At hindi pa ako nakikilala sa mukha ng mga iglesia ng Judea na pawang kay Cristo." (Gal. 1:22)

Tandaan, ang Iglesia Ni Cristo® ay naitatag lamang noong 1914 at wala pa sila sigurado noong panahon ni Apostol San Pablo at ni sa kalingkingan ay nakilala sila ng mga aspostol. Kaya't malabo na ang INC™ ni Ginoong Felix Manalo ang pinapatungkulan ni Apostol San Pablo. Ang tinutukoy ng Apostol ay ang Iglesia Katolika na "sa pasimula pa ay siyang (tunay na) Iglesia ni Cristo" ayon mismo sa PASUGO ng INC™! (Pasugo Abril 1966, p. 46)

Bakit natin natitiyak na ang tinutukoy ni Apostol Pablo na "pawang kay Cristo" ay mga kaanib lamang sa TUNAY na iglesiang Kanyang itinatag? Tunghayan natin ang pagkakasalin ng talatang ito sa New Pilipino Version na paborito ng mga INC™:

"Hindi pa ako kilalang personal sa mga iglesia ni Cristo sa Judea." (Gal 1:22)

Nilinaw sa saling ito ng Biblia na ang Iglesia na nasa Judea na pawang kay Cristo ay hindi tumutukoy sa iba't ibang pangkatin ng pananampalataya kundi sa mga kaanib lamang ng tunay na Iglesia ni Cristo - ang Iglesia Katolika. Sapagkat noong panahon ni Apostol San Pablo, WALA pang PAGPAPANGKAT-PANGKAT ng Iglesia. Wala pang Protestante, wala pang mga Mormons, wala pang mga INC™ ni Manalo. Makalipas lamang ng 1,500 taon ng pagkakatatag ng tunay na Iglesia nagkaroon ng PROTESTANTISMO na pinagmulan ng samahan ni Felix Manalo sa Pilipinas. Samakatuwid, ang parirala rito na "kay Cristo" ay tumutukoy sa mga kaanib sa TUNAY na Iglesia at hindi kung kani-kaninong "Iglesia Ni Cristo®" na tatag lamang ng taong ginutom ng tatlong araw.

Maraming huwad o pekeng tagapangaral ang nagtuturo na sapat nang sumampalataya lamang kay Cristo para maging Kaniya. Ito ay pinasiyaan ng mga Protestante noon 1517 umaklas si Martin Luther mula sa Iglesia Katolika. At bukambibig ng maraming naakit nila na sila ay sumasampalataya na raw kay Cristo. Subalit paano ba makikilala ang tunay na sumasampalataya sa Panginoong Jesucristo? Kapag ipinahayag ba ng isang tao na "Sumasampalataya ako kay Cristo" ay maibibilang na siya sa mga tunay na sumasampalataya? Ganito ang tugon ni Cristo:

"Datapuwa't hindi kayo nagsisampalataya, sapagka't hindi kayo sa aking mga tupa. Dinirinig ng aking mga tupa ang aking tinig, at sila'y aking nakikilala, at sila'y nagsisisunod sa akin." (Juan 10:26-27)

Ayon kay Cristo, ang tunay na sumasampalataya ay kabilang sa Kaniyang mga tupa. Sila ay ang mga kaanib na nasa TUNAY na Iglesia at hindi tatag ng taong nalipasan lamang ng gutom.  At ang kinikilala ni Cristo na kabilang sa Kaniyang mga tupa ay ang mga nakinig at sumunod sa Kaniya mula pa noong 33 A.D hanggang sa kasalukuyan. Ang hindi sumusunod kay Cristo, tulad ng mga pekeng mangangaral na TAO LAMANG daw si Cristo samantalang ANGHEL daw ang kanilang tagapagtatag, ay hindi maibibilang sa Kaniyang mga tupa at ang hindi kabilang sa Kaniyang mga tupa ay hindi totoong sumasampalataya. Alin ang sinabi ni Jesus na dapat sundin ng tunay sumasampalataya upang mapabilang siya sa Kaniyang mga tupa? Sa Juan 10:7, 9 New English Bible, isinalin mula sa Ingles)

"Muli ngang sinabi sa kanila ni Jesus: 'Katotohanan, katotohanang sinasabi ko sa inyo, Ako ang pintuan ng mga tupa. ... Ako ang pintuan; ang sinumang pumasok sa kawan sa pamamagitan ko ay magiging ligtas'."

Ang sabi ni Jesus, Siya "ang pintuan ng mga tupa" at upang mapabilang sa Kaniyang mga tupa ay dapat pumasok sa kawan sa pamamagitan Niya. Ang kawan na dapat pasukan ng TUNAY na sumasampalataya ay ang TUNAY Iglesia ni Cristo - ang Iglesia Katolika "na sa pasimula ay siyang Iglesia ni Cristo" (Pasugo Abril 1966, p. 46) na tatag ng Bugtong na Anak - Diyos na tunay na  nagkatawang tao! (Gawa 20:28). Kaya ang tunay na sumasamapalataya ay ang nasa tunay na Iglesia ni Cristo, ang Iglesia Katolika!

Ayon kay Apostol Pedro, ang Iglesiang kay Cristo ay lahing hirang, bansang banal, at bayang pag-aaring sarili ng Diyos, sapagkat Diyos Anak ang mismong nagtatag nito!

"Datapuwa't kayo'y lahing hirang, isang makaharing pagkasaserdote, bansang banal, bayang pag-aaring sarili ng Dios, upang inyong ipahayag ang mga karangalan niyaong tumawag sa inyo mula sa kadiliman, hanggang sa kaniyang kagilagilalas na kaliwanagan." (I Ped. 2:9)

Bakit natin natitiyak na ang tinutukoy rito ni Apostol San Pedro, ang ating Unang Santo Papa, ay ang mga kaanib sa tunay na Iglesia? Sa unang talata (I Pedro 2:5), ang tinutukoy ay ang bahay na ukol sa espiritu, na walang iba kundi ang Katawan ni Cristo, ang Iglesia (I Tim 3:15). Ito ay aral na ibinigay sa kanya ng tagapagtatag - ang ating Panginoong Jesus.

"Ako'y hindi ninyo hinirang, nguni't kayo'y hinirang ko, at aking kayong inihalal, upang kayo'y magsiyaon at magsipagbunga, at upang manatili sa inyo ang bunga: upang anomang inyong hingin sa Ama sa aking pangalan, ay maigigay niya sa inyo." (Juan 15:16)

Tiniyak ng Panginoong Jesucristo na ang tinutukoy Niya na Kaniyang hinirang at inihalal ay ang Kaniyang mga  alagad na sumusunod sa kanyang mga utos (Juan 15:1, 5). Kung itinutulad sa tao, ang katumbas ng puno ay ulo at ang mga sanga ay ang mga sangkap ng katawan. Si Cristo ang ulo at ang Iglesia ang katawan (Col. 1:18). Malinaw kung gayon na ang tunay Iglesia ni Cristo ay, HINDI ang INC™ ni Felix Manalo kundi ang Iglesiang NAROON na simula pa noong UNANG SIGLO- ang lahing hirang at may kahalalan mula kay Cristo ay ang Iglesia Katolika.

Ano pa ang pagpapakilala ng Biblia sa tunay na Iglesiang tatag ni Cristo? (Gawa 20:28)

"Ingatan ninyo kung gayon ang inyong sarili at ang buong kawan na rito'y hinirang kayo ng Espiritu Santo na mga katiwala, upang pakanin ang IGLESIA NG DIYOS na binili niya ng kaniyang dugo."

Ang Iglesia Ni Cristo® na tatag ni Felix Manalo sa Pilipinas noong 1914 ay binili ng ibang uri ng espiritu sapagkat para sa kanila ay TAONG-TAO lamang daw si Cristo. Ngunit para sa ating mga sumasampalataya sa TUNAY na Iglesia ang siyang binili o tinubos sa DUGO NG DIYOS na si CRISTO - ng Kaniyang sariling dugo. Ang aral na ito ng Biblia ay sinasalungat ng mga kaanib ng INC™ na paniniwalang nilang lahat na tinubos sila ng isang taong-tao lamang ang kalagayan. Dahil sa pagtubos na ginawa ni Cristo sa mga kaanib ng tunay na Iglesia ni Cristo, ang Iglesia Katolika, nalinis ang kanilang mga kasalanan at nagtamo sila ng karapatang maglingkod sa Diyos (Heb. 9:14)

Paano pinatunayan ng Biblia na ang Iglesiang ililigtas ni Cristo ay ang kanyang tatag na Iglesia? Simple lamang. Ang Kaniyang itinatag ang kanyang ililigtas at hindi kung kani-kaninong iglesia! Ganito ang pagpapatunay ng Biblia:

"Sapagkat ang lalaki ang ulo ng kanyang asawa, tulad ni Cristo na siyang ulo ng iglesya, na kanyang katawan, at siyang Tagapagligtas nito." (Efe. 5:23 MBB)

Mula pa noong Unang Siglo, ipinakikilala na ng tunay na Iglesia, ang Iglesia Katolika na ang ililigtas nito ay ang Kanyang Iglesia. Turo ng Santa Iglesia na ang Iglesia ay katawan ni Cristo sapagkat Siya ang ulo at Tagapagligtas nito. Pansinin na ang ililigtas ni Cristo ay ang Iglesia na Kaniyang pinangunguluhan. Ibig lamang sabihin ni Cristo ay ang mga KAANIB na NAGMAHAL, NAGTANGGOL at NANGARAL ng tungkol sa Kanya, simula pa noong 33 AD hanggang sa kasalukuyan! Ang katotohanang ito ay sinasalungat ng paniniwala ng iba tulad ng INC™ ni Manalo na maliligtas din daw sila dahil sa pangalan nilang "Iglesia Ni Cristo". Ano ang katuwiran nila samantalang halos lampas 100 taon lamang sila mula sa pagkakatatag nito? Ibig ba nilang sabihin eh, WALANG NALIGTAS mula pa noong 33 A.D. hanggang Hulyo 1914 bago pa man  naisipan ni Felix Manalo ang pagtataatag ng kanyang Iglesia na pinangalan lamang kay Cristo? At NAISAKATUPARAN lamang ang PAGLILIGTAS ni Cristo NOON LAMANG nagkaroon ng isang FELIX MANALO sa ibabaw ng mundong ito?

"At ngayong napawalang-sala na tayo sa pamamagitan ng kaniyang dugo, lalo nang tiyak na maliligtas tayo sa poot ng Diyos sa pamamagitan niya." (Roma 5:9, Ibid.)

Ang tao para maligtas ay kailangang matubos ni Cristo BILANG DIYOS ng Kaniyang dugo. Ang tunay na Iglesia ni Cristo, ang Iglesia Katolika ang tinubos ni Cristo ng Kaniyang sariling dugo. Dahil sa bisa ng dugo ni Cristo bilang Diyos na nagkatawang-tao kaya't MAPANLIGTAS ang KANYANG SAKRIPISYO. Hindi na Niya kailangan ng Felix Manalo para maisakatuparan ang kanyang pagliligtas. HINDI maliligtas ang mga taong napaniwala ni Felix Manalo na siya ang anghel at si Cristo ay taong-tao lamang ang kalagayan?!

Note: Sa mga nais na magsuri sa aral ng tunay na Iglesia - ang Iglesia Katolika ay maaari po kayong kumausap sa mga Catholic Defenders o lumapit sa pinakamalapit na parokya sa inyong lugar. Hindi po mahirap hanapin ang Iglesia Katolika sapagkat ito po ay HINULAANG magiging BANTOG sa buong mundo!

"Sa lahat ng nasa ROMA, mga mahal ng Diyos, na tinatawag na maging BANAL; Sumainyo ang biyaya at kapayapaan mula sa Diyos na ating Ama at sa Panginoong Jesucristo.  Una sa lahat ako'y nagpapasalamat sa aking Diyos sa pamamagitan ni Jesucristo pakundangan sa inyong lahat, sapagkat ang inyong pananampalataya ay BANTOG sa BUONG DAIGDIG!" -Roma 1:7-8

ANG KATOTOHANAN TUNGKOL SA IGLESIA NI CRISTO®-1914

Narito ang kopyang nilimbag ng Logos Publication at narito ang PDF kung nais niyo itong ipamahagi ang katotohanan tungkol sa INK-1914.

ANG KATOTOHANAN TUNGKOL SA INK – 1914

Ni Julian Pinzon

Ang Katotohanan Tungkol sa Iglesia Ni Cristo-1914 ay isang munting aklat hango sa mga nakasulat sa PASUGO—isang opisyal na magasin ng Iglesia ni Cristo (1914).  Ito ay nalimbag ng Divine Word Publication (ngayon ay Logos Publication), Oroqueat Street sa Lungsod ng Maynila.  Dahil mahirap ang maghanap ng sipi ng nasabing munting aklat, minabuti kong ibahagi sa inyo ang mga pagbubunyag na ito mula sa kanilang opisyal na magasing Pasugo upang maraming kaluluwa pa ang maliligtas sa pamamagitan ng pagbubunyag sa katotohanang hango sa magasing Pasugo. Pagpalain nawa tayo ng Dios at pagtulung-tulungan sana nating ibahagi "Ang Katotohanan Tungkol sa INK-1914."   

Ang Central Temple ng Iglesia ni Cristo (1914) sa Diliman, Lungsod ng Quezon,  Pilipinas

A. "SI JESU-CRISTO'Y SINUGO NG DIOS UPANG MAGTATAG NG IGLESIA."

1- PASUGO Mayo 1963, p. 13:

“Noong tumalikod ang bayang Israel at sumamba sa diyus-diyosan ay nagsugo ang Dios upang magtatag ng Iglesia."

2- PASUGO Setyembre 1940, p. 1:

“Dapat malaman ng lahat, ayon sa Bagong Tipan, ang tunay na INK ay si Cristo ang nagtatag nito."  

3- PASUGO Nobyembre 1940, p. 23:

“Iisa lamang ang tanging makapagtatayo ng Iglesiang magiging dapat sa Dios. Kung sino-- ang ating Panginoong Jesu-Cristo lamang! Sino mang tao-- maging marunong o mangmang, maging dakila o hamak-- ay walang karapatang magtayo ng Iglesia"

4- PASUGO Mayo 1968, p. 7:

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

5- PASUGO Mayo 1954, p. 9:

“Alin ang tunay na Iglesia? Ang Iglesiang itinayo ni Cristo sa Jerusalem."

Ang Kabuuan ng Nasa Itaas:

• Sinasariwa nila sa atin, ng mga tagapagtuguyod ng INK na lumitaw sa Pilipinas noong 1914, na si Cristo lamang ang tanging makapagtatayo ng Iglesiang magiging dapat sa Dios, at walang sinumang taong makapagtatayo ng Iglesia maging marunong o mangmang.

• At ipinababatid pa rin nila na iisa lamang ang Iglesiang itinayo ni Cristo at sa Jerusalem niya itinayo noong unang siglo.

B. SI FELIX MANALO'Y SINUGO NG DIOS UPANG MAGTATAG NG IGLESIA."

Larawan mula sa Kaliwa: Felix Manalo (nagtatag ng INK), apo niyang si Eduardo at ang anak niyang si Eraño.  Ang wala sa larawan ay ang susunod na punong-may ari na si Angelo V. Manalo.

1- PASUGO Agosto-Setyembre 1964, p. 2,5:

“Sino ang sinugo ng Dios upang maitatag ang Iglesia sa Pilipinas? Sa Isaias 46:11, ay ganito ang sabi: 'na tumatawag ng ibong mandaragit mula sa silanganan ang taong gumagawa ng aking payo mula sa malayong lupain" (Si Felix Manalo).

“Ayon sa kumakaaway sa INK sinasabi raw ng Rehistro na si Felix Manalo ang

nagtatag ng INK."

2- PASUGO Mayo 1967, 9.14:

“Sa panahong ito ng mga wakas na Lupa na nagsimula sa unang Digmaang Pandaigdig ay tatawag ang Dios ng kanyang huling sugo upang itatag ang kanyang Organisasyon. Kung gayon ang INK na lumitaw sa Pilipinas noong 1914, ay siyang Organisasyong Pinangunahan o Pinamahalaan ni Felix Manalo."

3- PASUGO Hulyo 1955, nasa panakip:

“Iyon ang Iglesia ni Cristo na dapat pasukan ng lahat ng tao; at ang tanging sugo'y si kapatid na Felix Manalo."

4- PASUGO Hulyo 1952, p. 4:“Kung ang babalingan ng pag-uusapan ay ang nagtatag, dapat na siya ang may-ari ng itinatag, at sa kanya rin manggagaling ang mga aral at turo na ipinatutupad."

Ang Kabuuan ng Nasa Itaas:

• Ipinaaalala nila sa atin na si Felix Manalo raw ang sinugo ng Dios na magtatag ng Iglesiang kanilang kinaaaniban, at si Kapatid nilang F. Manalo raw ang siyang tanging sugo sa Iglesia na lumitaw sa Pilipinas noong 1914.

• At tinatanggap nilang ito na sinasabi raw sa Rehistro na si Felix Manalo ang nagtatag.

The Powerful Glicerio Santos Jr. of the Iglesia Ni Cristo®, who is he?

Part 1: Who is Glicerio Santos Jr in the Iglesia ni Cristo?

[EXCLUSIVE] The elder Eraño Manalo had advised his son Eduardo, now executive minister, to always listen to the good counsel of Santos, also known as 'Kidlat', because he was 'quick to act'

Aries C. Rufo and Reynaldo Santos Jr

Published 8:02 AM, July 30, 2015

Updated 9:27 AM, Jul 30, 2015

Rappler, MANILA, Philippines – Who is Glicerio Santos Jr and what is his role in the current feud that’s wracking the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC)? Why has his name been dragged into the controversy?

Those sympathetic to the side of INC expelled minister Felix Nathaniel "Angel" Manalo and his mother Cristina "Tenny" alleged it was Santos who alienated INC executive minister Eduardo Manalo from his family.

This was supposedly part of a power play and struggle that saw several old INC officials being kicked out after the death of the former executive minister, Eraño "Ka Erdy" Manalo.

The elder Manalo was known for his austere lifestyle, resisting calls from concerned Iglesia members for him to seek medication when he got ill. INC insiders told Rappler "Ka Erdy" believed that money collected from members should not be spent by him. "Pera ng Diyos (money of God)," as he called it, was not meant for him.

Not long after Eraño’s death, the Iglesia's Sanggunian or Council under the new executive minister Eduardo underwent a purge. Eraño’s other son Angel and his wife Tenny could not do anything about it because Eduardo had already assumed the post of executive minister. The mother had not spoken with the son since then.

Only one of the 12 members survived the Sanggunian shake-up: Glicerio Santos Jr.

Entrusted

“Pinakabilin-bilinan siya ni Ka Erdy (Eraño) kay Ka Eduardo,” said one INC member. (Ka Erdy entrusted him to Ka Eduardo.)

The elder Eraño had advised his son Eduardo to always listen to the good counsel of Santos, who was also known as "Kidlat" because he was “quick to act” and was able to deliver on difficult tasks assigned to him. “If there’s an impossible task, give it to Santos,” the INC member who has contacts with church higher-ups said.

Santos was appointed treasurer and general auditor of the church’s finances. He held considerable power, but to members, he was simply known to be in charge of “pananalapi” or church funds.

Also described as a "bean counter and bureaucrat" by others who knew him, Santos, now about 76 years old, showed a willingness to "adapt to the new leadership," another INC insider said.

He eventually became more entrenched as his own son, lawyer Glicerio Santos IV, became legal counsel of the Iglesia.

Referring to the elder Santos, the other INC member said, "Everyone knows he's the number 2 guy. He is the second most powerful man in the INC." If he isn’t the second most, he is certainly among the most powerful in the governing Council or Sanggunian.

Iglesia members who want to set their church back on the right path said it was Santos who was behind the recent big-ticket projects of the Iglesia (including the grand $200-million Philippine Arena), the purchases of properties both here and abroad, including the abandoned town in South Dakota which was reportedly purchased for $700,000.

His clout extends beyond the INC. Santos wields enough influence that he was reportedly able to intercede for Ja Hoon Ku, a Korean wanted in his country for allegedly embezzling over $200 million from his company. Ja, who was a contractor for the Philippine Arena, had become an Iglesia convert.

The Korean was detained by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in January 2014 after the Korean embassy sought his arrest and deportation. But he was granted temporary liberty when Malacañang, through Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, issued an order on March 19 of the same year allowing Ja's provisional liberty – he would be free until August 31, 2014 or until his appeal was resolved..

A report by ABS-CBN said that the BI placed Ja under the custody of Santos as part of Ochoa's order. In the same order, ABS-CBN said that "Glicerio B Santos Jr, General Auditor of the INC, should be required to execute an Affidavit of Undertaking specifying that he will absolutely be responsible for Respondent's custody."

Family enterprise

For this story, we sought to interview INC spokesperson Edwil Zabala but he could not be reached. But in an earlier interview with Rappler, Zabala said Iglesia may hale to court anyone who makes false accusations against the church.

"Sa tamang lugar, sa tamang paraan, ang Iglesia haharap, sasagot kapagka mayroong ipineprisintang pruweba," he said. (The Church will face the allegations at the proper time and if there is evidence being presented.)

The INC chief has reposed his full trust and confidence in Santos bordering on blind faith such that, he may know more about the finances of the INC than the executive minister himself.

If the Manalos are considered by many as the spiritual heads of the INC, Santos and his family – based on official documents – appear to be controlling vital operations of the church.

Consider the following:

Notes about the entities mentioned above:

• Maligaya Development Corporation is the management arm of the Philippine Arena

• Felix Y. Manalo Foundation Inc (FYM Foundation) was founded on February 4, 2011, while the Subic Bay-Felix Y. Manalo Foundation Inc was established on May 7, 2012

• The F.Y. Manalo Medical Foundation operates the New Era General Hospital

• Unified Livelihood and Advocacy for Development International Inc (Unlad International) is a Quezon City-based NGO that undertakes livelihood projects. It was incorporated on April 25, 2013.

• The Eraño Manalo Medical Center Inc will be behind the 11-story modern hospital that will be constructed in Ciudad de Victoria in Bulacan

Santos III and Santos IV are sons of Santos Jr, while Anita Santos is his wife.

With 3 already locked votes, they can easliy control decisions on how to run the businesses and non-profit NGOs of the INC. We have verified at least 8 entities where members of the Santos family have a presence.

Latest 2013 financial statements submitted to the SEC showed that the FYM Foundation declared P128,273,658 in fund balances, while its sister company, the Subic Bay-FYM Foundation reported P1,011,763 for the same period.

FYM Medical Foundation declared P20,956,809 in fund balances in 2013, while Unlad International registered a fund balance of P26,213,599. Based on a video posted on the INC's official website, Unlad International has set up training centers on garment manufacturing and eco-farming for INC members, and indigenous communities in various parts of the country.

Maligaya Development Corporation posted a net income of P1,482,599 for 2013. New Era last submitted a financial statement in 2008, when it declared a fund balance of P172,786,318.

But the listings indicate the involvement of the Santoses only in local corporations and foundations. There are more. – with Chay F. Hofileña/Rappler.com

To be concluded

INC Pandora’s Box: Top 6 allegations against Ka Eduardo

Source: Politics.com

Iglesia Ni Cristo Executive Minister Eduardo “Ka Eduardo” Manalo’s official declaration on 23 July 2015 to expel his mother, Cristina “Tenny” Villanueva,his two brothers Felix Nathaniel or “Angel” and Marco Erano, and sister Lolita or “Lottie” did not come as a surprise to the millions of members of the religious sect founded by Manalo’s grandfather, Felix Y Manalo, in 1914.

The schism and purge at the INC had gripped the INC community for months through the blog site, Iglesia ni Cristo: Silent No More, which is managed “Antonio Ramirez Ebangelista” who the Inquirer described as a “deep throat” in the inner sanctum of the organization which turns 101 years old on the same day the President makes his final State of the Nation Address.

Here are the juicy stuff from the Pandora’s box opened by AE:

1) Alleged abduction and torture

The blog site claimed that three long-serving Iglesia brothers were abducted and tortured to force them to spill the beans on who were behind the group fomenting dissension among the INC faithful. Ebangelista also claimed that at least 9 other INC ministers were picked up by Central Office goons from their homes and brought to Camp Karingal in Quezon City. The INC has denied these as mere allegations.

2) Extravagant lifestyle of INC officials

The blog site exposed how ministers under Ka Eduardo’s watch suddenly living a lavish life with their purchase of bigger houses, luxury cars (such as BMWs and Lamborghini) , and expensive bags and other accessories.

3) Bad investment decisions

The conscience group claimed that the INC acquired two helicopters and an Airbus under Ka Eduardo’s watch. Ka Eduardo also pursued the construction of the mammoth Philippine Arena in Bulacan even when the cost has ballooned to $200 million.

4) Fire sale of INC properties

The blog site enumerated properties sold by Ka Eduardo including rest houses in Baguio and Tagaytay, tracts of land in the United States, and a prime property along Roxas Boulevard close to Pagcor City. The INC has defended the sale of these assets claiming that these were idle and that the money could be used for other needs of the INC.

5) Money-spinning ministers

The blog site also made allegations that members of Ka Eduardo’s inner circle had controlled lucrative contracts in the religious organization including the production of uniforms and exclusive concessionaire contracts in INC events..

6) Creation of political liaison office

When Ka Eduardo took over in 2009, he restored the ‘political liaison’ office allegedly under who allegedly served as the go-between the INC and the politicians who want to take advantage of the sect’s bloc voting members.

Politiko welcomes any response or reaction from the INC leadership.

A PRIMER ON THE BELIEFS OF THE IGLESIA NI KRISTO

+ORLANDO CARDINAL QUEVEDO, O.M.I.

Archbishop of Cotabato

Chairman, Commission on the Doctrine of the Faith, CBCP

“The Iglesia ni Cristo will celebrate its 100th foundation anniversary on July 27, 2014. As fellow citizens of our country we join the members of the INC in remembering their history where we find virtue and commitment to God. Anticipating the questions of the Catholic faithful that will arise on the occasion of this anniversary regarding the religious beliefs of the Iglesia ni Cristo, the present Primer was approved by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) as a guide for catechesis.”

A PRIMER ON THE BELIEFS OF THE IGLESIA NI KRISTO

[Source: Know the Truth]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword

Part One:

The Basic Beliefs of the Iglesia ni Cristo

I. Jesus Christ and the Church He Founded

II. II. The Unfaithfulness (“apostasy”) of the early Church

III. The Restoration of the Church by Felix Manalo

IV. IV. The sources of the teachings of the Iglesia ni Cristo

Part Two:

The Catholic Faith

I. The Teachings of the Catholic Church on Revelation and the Holy Bible

II. II. The Teachings of the Catholic Church on the Holy Trinity and Jesus Christ

Foreword

The Iglesia ni Cristo will celebrate its 100th foundation anniversary on July 27, 2014. As fellow citizens of our country we join the members of the INC in remembering their history where we find virtue and commitment to God.

Anticipating the questions of the Catholic faithful that will arise on the occasion of this anniversary regarding the religious beliefs of the Iglesia ni Cristo, the present Primer was approved by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) as a guide for catechesis.

The respect we give to the religious beliefs of others should motivate us to get to understand those beliefs deeply, as this is demanded by the requirements of sincere dialogue. Differences in what we believe in do not make us distant from those who hold those beliefs, because as J. Maritain put it, among ideas contradictions are inevitable, but not among persons.

We cannot close our eyes to the fact that there are serious and deep differences between the Christian Faith and the doctrines of the Iglesia ni Cristo. Thus, this Primer presents in Part One what the Iglesia ni Cristo believes in; Part Two is on what the Catholic Faith teaches on those same points.

Pope Francis, talking about Interreligious dialogue in Evangelii gaudium (no. 251) explains: “In this dialogue, ever friendly and sincere, attention must always be paid to the essential bond between dialogue and proclamation, which leads the Church to maintain and intensify her relationship with non-Christians (cf. Propositio 53). (…) True openness involves remaining steadfast in one’s deepest convictions, clear and joyful in one’s own identity, while at the same time being “open to understanding those of the other party” and “knowing that dialogue can enrich each side” (JOHN PAUL II, Encyclical Letter Redemptoris Missio (7 December 1990), 56). What is not helpful is a diplomatic openness which says “yes” to everything in order to avoid problems, for this would be a way of deceiving others and denying them the good which we have been given to share generously with others. Evangelization and interreligious dialogue, far from being opposed, mutually support and nourish one another (Cf. BENEDICT XVI, Address to the Roman Curia (21 December 2012); VATICAN II, Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church Ad Gentes, 9; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 856.)”

We pray that the wish of the Lord Jesus Christ at the Last Supper (“that they may all be one, even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee”) become a reality in the hearts of all Christians, so that the one Church founded by Him may become an agent of unity for all mankind.

+ ORLANDO CARDINAL QUEVEDO, O.M.I.

Archbishop of Cotabato

Chairman, Commission on the Doctrine of the Faith, CBCP – 25 March 2014

PART ONE

THE BASIC BELIEFS OF THE IGLESIA NI CRISTO*

I. Jesus Christ and the Church He Founded

1. What does the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) teach about God?

There is only one God. He alone is God (Ps. 86:10). “For I am God, and there is no other” (Is. 45:21-22; Is. 46:9-10; Dt. 32:39, RSV). The INC interprets these as proofs against the Trinity of Persons in one God. God is unchangeable, immutable: “For I the Lord do not change” (Mal. 3:6, RSV). He did not and will not, become man or anything. Therefore, Jesus Christ is not God that became flesh. Christ is man, not God. And God is not man. “For I am God”, He emphasized, “and not man” (Hos. 11-9).

2. What does the Iglesia ni Cristo teach about Jesus Christ?

Despite His uniqueness when compared to all other men, Christ remains man in His state of being. Christ is never the true God. He is a true man (“But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God”: Jn. 8:40). When Apostle Matthew gave his account of the birth of Christ, he said that in the womb of Mary was a child (Mt 1:18), not a god. Christ, since birth, was subjected to the experiences and circumstances of human life, inherent in all men (sin, of course, excluded). The true God has no beginning nor is He a son of man (Ps 90:2; Num 23:19). He is Spirit (Jn. 4:24); He does not grow weary (Is 40:28), does not sleep (Ps 121:4). The true God is immortal (I Tim 1:17).

* The answers to the questions in this part are lifted from the INC publication This is the Iglesia ni Cristo (“The Church of Christ”).

3. Is Jesus Christ the Savior?

On the 'Iglesia Ni Cristo" Church by CatholicSay

Source: CatholicSay

The Iglesia ni Cristo (Tagalog, “Church of Christ”) claims to be the true Church established by Christ. Felix Manalo, its founder, proclaimed himself God’s prophet. Many tiny sects today claim to be the true Church, and many individuals claim to be God’s prophet. What makes Iglesia ni Cristo different is that it is not as tiny as others.

Since it was founded in the Philippines in 1914, it has grown to more than two hundred congregations in sixty-seven countries outside the Philippines, including an expanding United States contingent. The Iglesia keeps the exact number of members secret, but it is estimated to be between three million and ten million worldwide. It is larger than the Jehovah’s Witnesses, a better known sect (which also claims to be Christ’s true Church). Iglesia is not better known, despite its numbers, because the majority of Iglesia’s members are Filipino. Virtually the only exceptions are a few non-Filipinos who have married into Iglesia families.

The organization publishes two magazines, Pasugo and God’s Message, which devote most of their energies toward condemning other Christian churches, especially the Catholic Church. The majority of the Iglesia’s members are ex-Catholics. The Philippines is the only dominantly Catholic nation in the Far East, with eighty-four percent of its population belonging to the Church. Since this is its largest potential source of converts, Iglesia relies on anti-Catholic scare tactics as support for its own doctrines, which cannot withstand biblical scrutiny. The Iglesia tries to convince people of its doctrines not by proving they are right, but by attempting to prove the Catholic Church’s teachings are wrong.

Is Christ God?

The Catholic teaching that most draws Iglesia’s fire is Christ’s divinity. Like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Iglesia claims that Jesus Christ is not God but a created being.

Yet the Bible is clear: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). We know Jesus is the Word because John 1:14 tells us, “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” God the Father was not made flesh; it was Jesus, as even Iglesia admits. Jesus is the Word, the Word is God, therefore Jesus is God. Simple, yet Iglesia won’t accept it.

In Deuteronomy 10:17 and 1 Timothy 6:15, God the Father is called the “Lord of lords,” yet in other New Testament passages this divine title is applied directly to Jesus. In Revelation 17:14 we read, “They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings.” And in Revelation 19:13–16, John sees Jesus “clad in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. . . . On his thigh he has a name inscribed, King of kings and Lord of lords.”

The fact that Jesus is God is indicated in numerous places in the New Testament. John 5:18 states that Jewish leaders sought to kill Jesus “because he not only broke the Sabbath but also called God his Father, making himself equal with God.” Paul also states that Jesus was equal with God (Phil. 2:6). But if Jesus is equal with the Father, and the Father is a God, then Jesus is a God. Since there is only one God, Jesus and the Father must both be one God—one God in at least two persons (the Holy Spirit, of course, is the third person of the Trinity).

The same is shown in John 8:56–59, where Jesus directly claims to be Yahweh (“I AM”). “‘Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see my day; he saw it and was glad.’ The Jews then said to him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and you have seen Abraham?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.’ So they took up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.” Jesus’ audience understood exactly what he was claiming; that is why they picked up rocks to stone him. They considered him to be b.aspheming God by claiming to be Yahweh.

The same truth is emphasized elsewhere. Paul stated that we are to live “awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). And Peter addressed his second epistle to “those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours in the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 1:1).

Jesus is shown to be God most dramatically when Thomas, finally convinced that Jesus has risen, falls down and exclaims, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28)—an event many in Iglesia have difficulty dealing with. When confronted with this passage in a debate with Catholic Answers founder Karl Keating, Iglesia apologist Jose Ventilacion replied with a straight face, “Thomas was wrong.”

God’s Messenger?

A litmus test for any religious group is the credibility of its founder in making his claims. Felix Manalo’s credibility and, consequently, his claims, are impossible to take seriously. He claimed to be “God’s messenger,” divinely chosen to re-establish the true Church which, according to Manalo, disappeared in the first century due to apostasy. It was his role to restore numerous doctrines that the Church had abandoned. A quick look at Manalo’s background shows where these doctrines came from: Manalo stole them from other quasi-Christian religious sects.

Manalo was baptized a Catholic, but he left the Church as a teen. He became a Protestant, going through five different denominations, including the Seventh-day Adventists. Finally, Manalo started his own church in 1914. In 1919, he left the Philippines because he wanted to learn more about religion. He came to America, to study with Protestants, whom Iglesia would later declare to be apostates, just like Catholics. Why, five years after being called by God to be his “last messenger,” did Manalo go to the U.S. to learn from apostates? What could God’s messenger learn from a group that, according to Iglesia, had departed from the true faith?

The explanation is that, contrary to his later claims, Manalo did not believe himself to be God’s final messenger in 1914. He didn’t use the last messenger doctrine until 1922. He appears to have adopted the messenger doctrine in response to a schism in the Iglesia movement. The schism was led by Teogilo Ora, one of its early ministers. Manalo appears to have developed the messenger doctrine to accumulate power and re-assert his leadership in the church.

This poses a problem for Iglesia, because if Manalo had been the new messenger called by God in 1914, why didn’t he tell anybody prior to 1922? Because he didn’t think of it until 1922. His situation in this respect parallels that of Mormonism’s founder Joseph Smith, who claimed that when he was a boy, God appeared to him in a vision and told him all existing churches were corrupt and he was not to join them, that he would lead a movement to restore God’s true Church. But historical records show that Smith did join an inquirer’s class at an established Protestant church after his supposed vision from God. It was only in later years that Smith came up with his version of the “true messenger” doctrine, proving as much of an embarrassment for the Mormon church as Manalo’s similar doctrine does for Iglesia.

Iglesia Prophesied?

A pillar of Iglesia belief is that its emergence in the Philippines was prophesied in the Bible. This idea is supposedly found in Isaiah 43:5–6, which states, “Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; I will say to the north, ‘Give up,’ and the south, ‘Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth.’”

Iglesia argues that in this verse, Isaiah is referring to the “far east” and that this is the place where the “Church of Christ” will emerge in the last days. This point is constantly repeated in Iglesia literature: “The prophecy stated that God’s children shall come from the far east” (Pasugo, March 1975, 6).

But the phrase “far east” is not in the text. In fact, in the Tagalog (Filipino) translation, as well as in the original Hebrew, the words “far” and “east” are not even found in the same verse, yet the Iglesia recklessly combine the two verses to translate “far east.” Using this fallacious technique, Iglesia claims that the far east refers to the Philippines.

Iglesia is so determined to convince its followers of this “fact” that it quotes Isaiah 43:5 from an inexact paraphrase by Protestant Bible scholar James Moffatt that reads, “From the far east will I bring your offspring.” Citing this mistranslation, one Iglesia work states, “Is it not clear that you can read the words ‘far east’? Clear! Why does not the Tagalog Bible show them? That is not our fault, but that of those who translated the Tagalog Bible from English—the Catholics and Protestants” (Isang Pagbubunyag Sa Iglesia ni Cristo, 1964:131). The Iglesia accuses everyone else of mistranslating the Bible, when it is Iglesia that is taking liberties with the original language.

The Name Game

Iglesia points to its name as proof it is the true Church. They argue, “What is the name of Christ’s Church, as given in the Bible? It is the ‘Church of Christ.’ Our church is called the ‘Church of Christ.’ Therefore, ours is the Church Christ founded.”

Whether or not the exact words “Church of Christ” appear in the Bible is irrelevant, but since Iglesia makes it an issue, it is important to note that the phrase “Church of Christ” never once appears in the Bible.

The verse Iglesia most often quotes on this issue is Romans 16:16: “Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you ” (Pasugo, November 1973, 6). But the phrase in this verse is “churches of Christ.” And it’s not a technical name. Paul is referring to a collection of local churches, not giving an organizational name.

To get further “proof” of its name, Iglesia cites Acts 20:28: “Take heed therefore . . . to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased with his blood” (Lamsa translation; cited in Pasugo, April 1978). But the Lamsa translation is not based on the original Greek, the language in which the book of Acts was written. In Greek, the phrase is “the church of God” (tan ekklasian tou Theou) not “the church of Christ” (tan ekklasian tou Christou). Iglesia knows this, yet it continues to mislead its members.

Even if the phrase “church of Christ” did appear in the Bible, it would not help Iglesia’s case. Before Manalo started his church, there were already groups calling themselves “the Church of Christ.” There are several Protestant denominations that call themselves Church of Christ and use exactly the same argument. Of course, they aren’t the true Church for the same reason Iglesia isn’t—because they were not founded by Christ.

Did Christ’s Church Apostatize?

The doctrines upon which all Iglesia’s other doctrines depend is its teaching that Christ’s Church apostatized in the early centuries. Like Mormonism, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and other fringe groups, Iglesia asserts that the early Christian Church suffered a total apostasy. It believes in “the complete disappearance of the first-century Church of Christ and the emergence of the Catholic Church” (Pasugo, July-Aug. 1979, 8).

But Jesus promised that his Church would never apostatize. He told Peter, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). If his Church had apostatized, then the gates of hell would have prevailed against it, making Christ a liar.

In other passages, Christ teaches the same truth. In Matthew 28:20 he said, “I am with you always even until the end of the world.” And in John 14:16, 18 he said, “And I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you forever … I will not leave you desolate.”

If Iglesia members accept the apostasy doctrine, they make Christ a liar. Since they believe Jesus Christ is not a liar, they are ignoring what Christ promised, and their doctrine contradicts Scripture.

They are, however, fulfilling Scripture. While Jesus taught that his Church would never apostatize, the Bible does teach that there will be a great apostasy, or falling away from the Church. Paul prophesies: “[Do not] be quickly shaken in mind or excited . . . to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come, unless the rebellion [Greek: apostasia] comes first” (2 Thess. 2:2–3); “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by giving heed to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons” (1 Tim. 4:1); and, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own liking, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths” (2 Tim. 4:3–4). By falling away from the Church, members of Iglesia are committing precisely the kind of apostasy of which they accuse the Catholic Church.

The Bible tells us in 1 John 4:1: “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are of God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Was Felix Manalo a true prophet? Is his church the “true Church?” If we test the claims of Iglesia ni Cristo, the answer is apparent. His total apostasy doctrine is in flat contradiction to Christ’s teaching. Th

INC -Iglesia ni Cristo and the mentality of exclusivity

A young member of the Iglesia Ni Cristo questions the teachings she has grown up with

By Malaya dela Cruz through Rappler.com

I’ve been an Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) member since I was born and my father is a minister. My siblings and I were raised to behold as absolute truth all doctrines without question. As kids, we’re brazen to tell our friends “Mag-Iglesia ka na kundi mapupunta ka sa dagat-dagatang apoy.” (Convert to Iglesia; otherwise, you'll end up in hell)

We’re flying with wings of righteousness holding the light to guide those lost in the darkness, we call sanlibutan; completely convinced that we’re indeed the chosen ones come judgment day. All we have to do is follow like sheep and salvation is certain. This is my myopic reality.

Into the darkness

Coming of age, I learned our creationist view is indubitably wrong given the insurmountable evidences against it, yet I find this mistake tolerable; assuming perhaps a scientifically-informed interpretation of the bible isn’t necessary for salvation. I was indifferent about this just as I am in overriding any of my rights for the sake of unity; trusting that it’s always for the good of the church.

What became unbearable is having my consciousness raised about the multi-dimensional causes of poverty. I cannot unlearn what I know now - that the terrible social realities we dismiss right before our eyes as normal is caused by injustice from existing power structures in society.

It was alarming for I was undeniably guilty of being part of a church responsible for reinforcing structures that sustain poverty through our social attitude and practice of ‘unity.’

We are INC first before we are Filipinos

It is our faith, albeit fatalistic, that the world will inevitably perish and no developmental agenda by man could prevent it; we are only travelers here for our true residence is the kingdom of heaven. Hence, we resign concern about matters outside our kingdom unless it might undermine doctrines or the church administration.

We show power in numbers through bloc-voting and secure key positions in the government in order to protect the interests of the church, never mind whether it’s a corrupt official as long as the church is secured. This is why INC was indifferent during the People Power I despite all the atrocious harm done towards the Filipino people - all because we allied with former president Ferdinand Marcos, the dictator.

Culture of apathy

Since our primary concern is the good of the church and not of the people in general, an apathetic attitude towards social issues is fostered among members.

We’re prohibited to participate in any form of social mobilization or unions because it’s against the unity of the church, even if such actions addresses concerns that directly affect the welfare of members.

Greedy corporations who operate with inhumane policies are fortunate as INC members are willing allies to preserve an unfair system. We abstain claiming accountability from power-holders in the name of ‘peace.’ - a peace that is oblivious of its implications.

Yes, we’re an obedient flock of docile sheep but we’re also subtle criminals and dignified perpetrators of injustices against our fellowmen. With brilliant pride we take the side of the oppressors.

Our brand of humanitarianism

The provision of generous aid to millions of non-members through medical missions, relief distributions and housing projects are token gestures, for “conversion” is our utmost motivation by exploiting the sense of utang na loob (debt of gratitude).

INC’s brand of humanitarianism does not involve championing the interest and welfare of the poor by addressing root causes of social issues. Our humanitarian cause is the 'noblest' of all: to save your soul from damnation by converting you to the one true Church of Christ.

Masters of mobilization

We’re taught that hardships and misfortunes in life are either caused by sin or are trials we must endure. However, evidence suggests that societal structures and how its citizens participate in shaping it in the course of history is the concrete reason for the everyday struggles of today. Poverty is avoidable, development is a choice.

The public witnessed INC’s power to amass more than a million people in its administrations’ behest. If the church could use its clout to truly help the nation by addressing long term needs and root causes of perennial social issues – such as lobbying and supporting genuine agrarian reform, a fair wage and other issues that affect the marginalized majority, where many of its own members come from, we shall contribute to societal change.

Aren't we humans first?

My conscience is disturbed when I saw my fellow brethren exalte upon news of famine, war, destruction and calamities where thousands of people lay dead. Some even said, “Makasalanan kasi ang sanlibutan, matuwa tayo dahil nalalapit ang kaligtasan natin.” (The people are sinful. We should be happy because our salvation is near.) They seem to forget we’re humans first before we even subscribe to any religion.

'Saving your soul' as a single mission is quite selfish in the face of human suffering. I understand it stems from fear and existential uncertainties, but It’s wrong to choose a convenient personal escape and say “kung gusto niyo rin maligtas, umanib na kayo” (if you want to be saved, join us) instead of engaging in collective action driven by empathy and compassion.

We glory over the Philippine Arena, Guinness records, and the thousands of congregations we’ve built like the elite ruler gloating over his empire.

There is harm in a mentality of exclusivity when we operate in the context of a larger society. Imagining a fragmented reality wherein we are only travelers goes against the truth that we have a responsibility to contribute and cooperate in facilitating change in the world. We can do this by renouncing apathy and using our power to mobilize for the good of people. - Rappler.com

*Malaya dela Cruz is a pseudonym. Rappler verified the identity of the writer, who asked her real name be concealed for her protection. She is a university student.