INC: No hostage and no abduction
Misunderstood by council
Angel said he and his mother’s opposition to the project was misunderstood by the INC Sanggunian (advisory council).
He said the threats to his and his mother’s lives came from the council (Sanggunian).
“We are not fighting them. We love our brothers who are running the Iglesia,” he said.
“We just can’t allow the INC doctrine to be disrespected,” he said.
“What we’re saying is he should not believe the council that he trusts,” Angel said, referring to Eduardo. “The donations are running out because of the many unnecessary projects.”
Angel called for people power on Thursday night, but only a few INC members gathered in front of the Manalo property.
Support for Eduardo
In Cebu City, INC members on Friday showed their support for Eduardo Manalo through posts on Facebook.
Some replaced their profile and cover photos with photos of a thumb print in the INC red and green colors.
One post read: “I am one with EVM.” The initials refer to Eduardo V. Manalo.
Another post quoted Hebrews 13:17: “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.”
Ruben Licera Jr., an INC member, said he and his family remain confident in the leadership of Eduardo.
He posted that INC was not “just about a particular family.”
“The Iglesia ni Cristo are servants of God and Jesus Christ who submit to the authority of those God installed,” he said.
Other INC members used the hashtags in their Facebook accounts #ForeverINC, #ProudINC and #IamOneWithEVM.
April Joy Parsaligan Ovejera used the hashtag and posted on her account, “Be Faithful. Stand Firm.”
Her cover photo was a quote from 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Never stop praying.”
Anthonet Borres Estomo posted the thumb mark photo on her Facebook wall. Her caption read: “My faith has not been moved.”
On micro-blogging site Instagram, there are at least 472 posts that used the hashtag #IamOneWithEVM.
Most of the posts used the photo of the thumb mark as expression of support for Ka Eduardo.
The Inquirer tried to get the statement of the INC leaders in Cebu but a clerk in their Cebu South District office said their head, Bro. Edmundo Padilla and other officials were in Manila to attend their group’s 101st anniversary on July 27. They will be back in Cebu on July 28. With reports from Erika Sauler in Manila and Carmel Loise Matus, Inquirer Visayas
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