INC to distribute sample ballots for bloc voting Saturday

Hundreds of thousands of Iglesia ni Cristo members gather at Manila’s Quirino Grandstand on Feb. 28, 2012, for grand prayer rally. The bloc-voting church is expected to play a key role on who’s in and who’s out in the 2013 midterm senatorial elections especially in the tightly fought bottom three slots of the 12-seat race. RICHARD REYES

MANILA, Philippines—The Iglesia Ni Cristo officially informed their followers in Wednesday night’s worship that the church has picked seven Team PNoy senatorial candidates and five United Nationalist Alliance bets for their bloc voting on May 13.

A member of the religious organization, who spoke on condition of anonymity for not having been authorized to speak to the media, said ministers  directed their members during last night’s worship service to coordinate with their local leaders.

The INC endorsed Team PNoy’s Juan Edgardo Angara, Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Alan Peter Cayetano, Loren Legarda, Grace Poe, Antonio Trillanes IV, and Cynthia Villar. For the United Nationalist Alliance, INC picked Nancy Binay, Joseph Victor Ejercito, Juan Ponce Enrile Jr., Richard Gordon, and Gregorio Honasan II.

“The list was not read, but members were told the sample ballots were ready for distribution this weekend,” said the source.

The INC has roughly 1.3 million voters based on the 2010 census.