The decision of the advisory council to mount a “show of force” in February 2012 at the height of the impeachment trial of then Chief Justice Renato Corona was among the reasons for the falling out between Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) executive minister Eduardo Manalo and the “old guard” in the indigenous Christian group, according to a church insider.
The source, who agreed to talk with the Inquirer on condition of anonymity, said Eduardo’s mother, Cristina “Tenny” Villanueva Manalo, and his siblings were identified with the group loyal to the teachings of INC founder Felix Manalo and Eraño “Erdy” Manalo, the second-generation leader of the church.
Rally fizzled out
The source said the 12-member advisory council organized the prayer rally in Rizal Park in Manila to dissuade the senators from voting to unseat Corona, who was then facing various corruption charges.
He said the INC elders started to blame each other when the event, attended by some 600,000 members of the politically influential religious group, fizzled out and failed to save Corona from ouster.
“Our show of force was not successful. So the leaders thought we have to bolster the worldly influence of the church both in the government and in the society,” the source, who has direct knowledge of INC affairs, said.
“The leaders said we had to increase our clout in the political arena. They said if we had to remain politically relevant, we needed to flex our muscles,” he said.
This direction, which Eduardo approved, did not sit well with the old guard, including members of the Manalo family, according to the source.
“Many members thought the church should not involve itself too much in politics after the INC was embarrassed when our show of force for Corona failed,” he said.
He said the council agreed to organize the event when Corona sought the INC’s assistance. “The INC considers him a friend of the church,” he said.
The source said there was a faction in the church that opposed the appointment to government offices of some church members despite questions about their qualifications.