By Diego Morra
The Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) has pushed its luck too far by organizing a “surprise” three-day rally at EDSA, only to be told to get out of the premises of Roman Catholic Church in Ortigas Center and for Quezon City to scrap its permit for another action on July 2 as citizens complained about the horrendous traffic caused by the deliberate parking of INC vehicles on the busway and the arrogance of INC leaders who believe they were ordered by their god to park their cars and vans anywhere they please.
As an INC member admitted, the group does not stage “surprise” rallies since the EDSA action was planned in advance even as the purpose was concealed by a plea to “end corruption” and “apply the law evenly.” The second purpose is a giveaway since the INC, from Executive Minister Eduardo V. Manalo, was protecting Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, who is now the subject of an arrest warrant for plunder under Republic Act No. 7080 and indirect bribery under the Revised Penal Code (RPC), a blot on his *escutcheon inasmuch as he had been bragging that he is a legal scholar, a luminary and an expert on rules, regulations of parliamentary procedure, beating the author of Robert’s Rules.
For the INC to spend time and effort, as well as for its members to waste their money in defense of Marcoleta amounts to defending the senator’s negative pregnant defense on accepting P75-million from three donors — all of whom would join him in jail – since the “private” donation was given to Marcoleta while he was still a Sagip party-list congressman. Marcoleta’s denial of violating the Omnibus Election Code (OEC) since the money was donated before he became a senatorial candidate might have swayed the Comelec into invoking the Penera decision to exonerate him but it cannot save him from a flood of criminal cases that the Ombudsman had filed against him. OEC might be generous to candidates but the RA 7080 and RPC are harsh to public officials who receive “gifts,” do not report them and keep the dirty money in their deep pockets or in “pre-election” expenses of whatever kind.
Marcoleta actually forced the hand of the Ombudsman since he admitted before his Net 25 fans that he accepted the money and did not report it in his Statement of Contributions and Expenses (SOCE.) The Comelec, with its vaunted integrity under fire, cleared Marcoleta even when his SOCE came with a most surprising twist: He spent P112.9-million for his 2025 campaign without a single red centavo in donations. His statement of assets and liabilities and Net Worth for the same year listed his net worth only as P51-million. Who is Marcoleta fooling here? The INC and the entire Filipino nation. **Tenebrous days are looming for the INC as its vow to persist in attacking corruption and demanding that Marcoleta be spared from prosecution, or persecution as the group claims, ended abruptly on July 3 at the Liwasang Bonifacio as the crowd of zealots and Sara Duterte fanatics thinned out.
INC claimed the action was a success but it appears the government simply said criminal charges await those who would create trouble. Once violence erupts, the INC’s secret private army will have to deal with the military. A repeat of the 1972 attack on the INC headquarters cannot be ruled out, along with the filing of rebellion charges as in the Lapiang Malaya carnage. The INC’s Sanggunian, or the Manalo apostles that ***“gardez la foi,” must have seen that Malacanang was no longer treating INC as a champion of pressure politics and would not concede an inch to make Eduardo Manalo and Marcoleta happy. Proof is that Marcoleta had been arrested as the impeachment trial of Sara Zimmerman Duterte Carpio commences at the Senate.
However, the fact is that the INC is a political organization with its bloc voting doctrine as the battering ram to get what it pleases from authorities, never mind if the entire membership of INC is not even 3-million out of the total population of 120-million. Since INC does not recognize the divinity of Jesus Christ, it is thus not out of the woods as far as Christendom is concerned. With the behavior of the INC partisans in EDSA and Liwasang Bonifacio antagonizing millions of Filipinos as they shouted themselves hoarse in demanding Marcos Jr.’s resignation and the junking of criminal charges against Saint Rodante Marcoleta, Filipinos have realized that there is no sense listening to them at all. In all of these actions, where was Eduardo V. Manalo to shepherd his flock?
“Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable,” George Orwell quipped, and what INC statements, replete with legal infirmities and errors, such as thinking private funds given to public officials are not covered by RA7080 and indirect bribery is exempt from coverage by the RPC, actually say is leave Marcoleta untouched after he had indicted himself with his actions and admissions before the Comelec and the Ombudsman. The INC is merely reiterating its entitlement, that its members be spared from criminal charges and that they enjoy religious liberty much better than the rest of Filipino people. “When losing a debate, slander becomes the loser’s tool,” Socrates said. The INC has lost the debate at EDSA and Liwasang Bonifacio.
There is this wag who said “we live in times where common sense has to stay quiet so stupidity doesn’t get offended,” echoing what Bertrand Russell said many years ago that smart people doubt themselves while the ignorant ones talk through their hats. This was confirmed later with the Kruger-Dunning effect in 1999. Isaac Asimov also said, “When stupidity is considered patriotism, it unsafe to be intelligent.” These quotes come at a time when religious fanaticism tears into the body politic, and when authorities also fail to perform its duties according to the Old Testament. There are no chosen people or churches. The INC should stop thinking with their feet. #
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WORDS/PHRASES OF THE DAY
- Escutcheon – A shield or shield-shaped surface used in heraldry to display a coat of arms.
- Tenebrous — Dark, shadowy, or obscure.
- Gardez la foi (French) – Phrase that translates to “keep the faith.”
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