Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) central headquarters in Quezon City. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Director Gen. Ricardo Marquez, newly appointed chief of the Philippine National Police, was chosen by President Noynoy on his own merit and not by any official of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), according to his close subordinate.
“The chief PNP does not play politics,” said the subordinate who didn’t want to be identified.
Asked whether he was aware that the INC lobbied for him, Marquez said, “I’m not aware that any group had lobbied for me as I never asked for any.”
Marquez, a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), is a bemedalled officer.
“He’s a professional soldier,” his aide said.
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Members of other religions should not gloat over the infighting among the top officials of the influential religious sect.
The INC, founded in 1914, is a relatively new religious organization and is still suffering from birth pangs.
The 2,000-year-old Catholic Church in the early days was also racked by disunity and quarrels within its top hierarchy.
That’s why there was the Great Schism, which separated the Eastern Orthodox Church from the Roman Catholic Church, in the 11th century.
Many prominent members of the Catholic clergy, notably Martin Luther, left the Church because of differences over religious doctrine and a power struggle.
This same struggle appears to be what is happening within the INC.
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Sen. Grace Poe’s popularity is just a flash in the pan.
Her surge in popularity among voters is a result of the corruption charges against Vice President Jojo Binay, who, early on, had declared his intention to run for President in 2016.
Eventually, voters will realize she will be an OJT (on-the-job-training) President if she gets elected.
Voters are now intelligent and discerning. They know that honesty and sincerity are good traits of a leader but experience counts more than one’s willingness to serve.
Since Binay’s rating is fast plunging and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, Liberal Party’s presumptive presidential candidate in 2016, is not accepted by the masses, the only viable candidate is Davao City Mayor Rody Duterte.
Duterte has a spotless record as mayor of Davao City, which has been transformed from a crime-ridden city to one of the world’s safest cities.
Voters will choose Duterte, who easily connects with the masses, because of his integrity and experience.
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Everybody’s attention is focused on the tandem of Poe and Sen. Chiz Escudero because of the former’s No. 1 spot in the popularity surveys.
Poe doesn’t want anybody else for her running mate—if ever she runs for the presidency—but Escudero.
But soon she will realize that Escudero will be a liability rather than an asset to her.
If she hasn’t been told yet, and if the stories are true, some people claim Escudero takes on a Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde change in personality when he’s under the influence of alcohol.
That’s a problem Amazing Grace will have to contend with on the campaign trail.
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