‘Keep opportunists out’

Pacified only if…

INC spokesperson Edwil Zabala said the church members would be pacified only if De Lima would show fairness in handling Samson’s complaint.

“What will pacify or stop our members from venting out their emotion is when Secretary De Lima speaks up and show concrete action that she is willing to correct what for us is an obvious error in the process of how the cases were filed,” Zabala said in a television interview on Saturday.

The INC is questioning the “extraordinary attention” that De Lima gave to the complaint.

“For us this directly deprives us of our freedom to practice our faith, which we have been doing for over 100 years now. We’ve not done any damage to the society. We’re just wondering why she is now using her authority to deprive us. She should show us that she is implementing the law fairly and without bias,” Zabala said.

Doctrine of separation

“We are only exercising our constitutionally guaranteed freedom to peaceably gather and assemble to seek redress, especially for something perceived to be wrong. [If De Lima] only followed the rules in terms of filing the case, this could have been prevented,” he said.

The INC is invoking the separation of church and state in protesting the DOJ’s accepting the complaint.

But the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) said on Saturday that the DOJ did not violate the doctrine by accepting the complaint.

In a text message sent to the media, CHR Chair Jose Luis Martin Gascon explained that “separation of church and state does not arise at all” in the controversy.

“This a matter involving the proper exercise of powers by the justice department, involving an investigation of a case that may involve violation of law that exempts no one,” Gascon said.

He explained that the doctrine of separation only ensures that “the state does not favor any particular religion” and that “every person is able to believe and practice faith.”

“On matters of criminal law, the justice system must be allowed to take its due course no matter who may be the perpetrators involved otherwise people will ultimately be taking the law or interpretation thereof upon themselves, which would undermine it,” Gascon said.

Zabala said the INC was invoking separation because “we feel it’s no longer completely followed, at least, in our experience.”

“[For 101 years], we follow, subject ourselves to the rules of the law, except when those laws contradict the rules of God that we swore to uphold and are clearly recorded in the Bible,” he said.

To maintain peace, order

Despite its possible repercussion on his presidential candidacy, Roxas said legal processes must be observed in dealing with the issue between the INC and the DOJ.

Roxas, who was chosen by the President as the ruling Liberal Party’s standard-bearer, admitted that dealing with the matter was a difficult task, but he expressed confidence that even INC members would choose to maintain peace and order.

“We’re trying to deal with this calmly and do our job properly,” Roxas said in a news briefing at Camp Crame.

“Our task is to maintain order and protect the general welfare of all residents of Metro Manila,” he added.

Roxas said the government had been in touch with INC leaders at “various levels,” but did not state how the Aquino administration was treating the mass action apparently aimed at pressuring De Lima to dismiss the case against the INC leaders.

He presided over a hastily called meeting in Camp Crame with PNP Director General Ricardo Marquez, Metro Manila Development Authority chair Francis Tolentino, Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista, Mandaluyong City Mayor Benhur Abalos and other police officials.

During the meeting, Roxas reminded the local and police officials that the welfare of the general public should be protected while ensuring the safety of those participating in the INC protest.

Roxas also maintained that the flow of traffic along Edsa, the metropolis’ main thoroughfare, should not be hampered by the protest.

He said police personnel with bomb-sniffing dogs would be deployed to protect the INC protesters from those who might sabotage the rally.