Labor group blasts pol patronage, accommodation for Iglesia

‘FAITH, NOT POLITICS’ So goes the message on a placard hoisted by members of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), which moved its forces to the Catholics’ hallowed Edsa Shrine in Quezon City on Friday night after a mass action that began the previous day at the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Manila. The religious group wants the DOJ to stop its investigation of a criminal complaint filed by an expelled minister against INC advisory council members. LYN RILLON

IT IS not surprising for politicians and persons with political ambitions to take advantage of the mass action being staged by Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC).

A militant labor group has assailed the “political patronage” and accommodation accorded to INC by local politicians in exchange for endorsement in the upcoming 2016 national elections.

Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) said the protest action being conducted by the influential church for four days now is nothing but a show of force.

“With the election fever rising by the day, the INC is well aware of this and their numbers, as shown by their endorsement power,” Leody De Guzman, BMP chair said in a statement sent to Inquirer.net.

Now on its fourth day, the INC protest stemmed from the Justice Secretary Leila de Lima’s alleged meddling in the church affairs by supposedly giving “extraordinary attention” to the serious illegal detention and grave coercion complaints filed against the INC’s Sanggunian.

INC members trooped to the Department of Justice (DOJ) compound on Thursday to pressure de Lima, who was celebrating her birthday with the DOJ employees, to drop the complaints filed by former INC minister Isaias Samson Jr.

On Friday evening, INC members marched from DOJ compound to Edsa Shrine. They converged at the Edsa-Shaw Boulevard intersection, contributing to the already heavy traffic on a weekend.

But instead of dispersing the protesters, authorities closed at least four lanes of Edsa despite INC’s lack of permit to hold a rally.

“What is not palatable is the accommodation the local politicians are giving. This is a simple case of political patronage in exchange for endorsing them in 2016,” De Guzman said.

In an Inquirer report, Mandaluyong City Mayor Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. admitted that “all hell broke [loose]” in his city’s jurisdiction.

Instead of clearing the disruption, the city government on Saturday morning issued a permit to rally allowing INC members to remain on the busy crossing until Sunday.

Abalos defended the last-minute issuance of permit, saying the move is to “contain” the INC members already amassing in parts of Edsa.

Aquino’s instruction

President Benigno S. Aquino III has directed the executive branch to keep an eye on certain people who may exploit the INC protests for their political interest.

“The President mentioned specifically that [the] government should ensure—at least, the executive branch— that there are no opportunities for those who may want to take advantage of the situation for their personal end,” presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said over Radyo ng Bayan.

READ: ‘Keep opportunists out’

Top presidential aspirants like Vice President Jejomar Binay and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and even Sen. Grace Poe have chipped in their support for INC.

“We cannot fault the INC for resorting to mass action to protect the independence of their church from a clear act of harassment and interference from the administration,” Binay said.

“Religious freedom is guaranteed by our Constitution. Yet the administration chose to trample on this sacred right. What we are seeing are people fighting for their faith,” he added.

READ: Binay defends Iglesia ni Cristo, chides Aquino gov’t

“For me, those people are defending their faith. We respect that and they also have to protect their rights,” Poe told reporters in Nueva Ecija.

On the other hand, Roxas, the LP standard-bearer, reminded INC to respect others’ rights.

“As in all protest actions, preserving peace and order with maximum tolerance will be practiced by all responding policemen. While all citizens have the right to be heard and to peaceful assembly, the exercise of these rights cannot impinge on the rights of others or cause inconvenience to anyone,” the outgoing Interior secretary was quoted in an INQUIRER.net report.

With an estimated membership of two million, INC is known for its block-voting and endorsing power.

Local and national candidates woo INC’s backing every election season. And the current situation within the religious sect could determine its choice of who to endorse in 2016.