Iglesia calls on members for sobriety

An Iglesia ni Cristo official on Wednesday called for sobriety among the church members following allegations by an expelled minister that he had been abducted, threatened and detained on the INC’s orders.

“In this time of great tribulation, we ask our brethren to remain calm and continue praying for our church. Rest assured that the church leadership will face all the issues with dignity and with full confidence in the fairness of our justice system,” INC spokesperson Edwil Zabala said in a statement.

Zabala also appealed for “open-mindedness, objectivity, and understanding” from fellow Filipinos.

“We likewise call for circumspection in the face of baseless speculation and reckless accusations that do not contribute to efforts to obtain justice for all those involved,” he added, without mentioning anybody.

Expelled INC minister Lowell Menorca II last Sunday accused members of the Philippine National Police led by a former Quezon City police chief of abducting him in Bulan, Sorsogon, last July.

He also accused members of the INC governing council of orchestrating his kidnapping on suspicion that he had been blogging about corruption and anomalies in the church.

Menorca was released from the Dasmariñas city jail a few days later, and transferred to the INC complex in Quezon City, where he claimed he and his family were held virtual prisoners for three months until last week.