Money, info leaks said to have triggered Iglesia turmoil

Felix Nathaniel “Angel” Villanueva Manalo speaking to the media after denying hostage reports early Friday. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

A power struggle between two families in the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) is the cause of the turmoil in the church, according to a member of the indigenous Christian group.

“The trouble began when Angel Manalo asked to be given the finance position but the council of elders declined his request,” the source said, referring to Felix Nathaniel “Angel” Villanueva Manalo, younger brother of INC executive minister Eduardo V. Manalo.

“It’s the struggle to head the finance group of the INC, which has a say on all the investments and financial activities of the church,” the source said.

The source, who asked not to be identified for fear of expulsion, said the INC finance group was headed by Glicerio Santos Jr., whose son, Glicerio Santos IV, is chief of the group’s legal department.

The Santoses, the source said, were among the earliest members of the INC, which was founded by Felix Manalo in 1914.

“The legal department, in consultation with the 12-member council of elders, usually makes the decision and direction of the investments,” the source said.

Santos Jr. is a member of the council of elders, or advisory council.

Santos IV is also head of Maligaya Development Corp., which runs the 55,000-seat Philippine Arena in Santa Maria, Bulacan province.

Social media leaks

The source said that trouble started last year when recordings of the meetings attended by the advisory council and top ministers circulated on social media.

“Recordings of the meetings were uploaded to social media and most of the leaks were damaging to Santos,” the source added.

The source did not say who was believed to be behind the leaks, but recent INC statements referred to Angel Manalo and his mother, Cristina “Tenny” Villanueva Manalo, as trying to cause disunity and have a say in the running of the church.

The source said church members knew about the power struggle, but left the decision to their leaders.

Eduardo signed expulsion order

To end the power struggle, the INC expelled Angel, Tenny and two other Manalo siblings, Marco Eraño and Lolita “Lottie” Hemedez, on Thursday after they posted a video on YouTube on Wednesday night appealing for help from other church members.

“We were indoctrinated in the matter that we obey our leaders, not to talk to outsiders about the things discussed among the members and violating this means expulsion from the INC,” the source said.

“That is why the expulsion of the Manalo family after the uploading of the video of Angel did not come as a surprise to the INC members. We were always told that there’s no sacred cow in the INC,” the source added.

The source said the expulsion order was signed by Eduardo Manalo and it was also read in INC churches in 102 other countries.

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