MANILA — A peace advocate and an expelled member of the religious sect Iglesia ni Cristo who reportedly claimed to be representatives of the United Nations tasked to inspect an INC property for alleged human rights violations were denied entry by the legal counsel of the religious sect on Monday.
Around 10:30 a.m., Humphry Angeles, whose ID showed that he was representing the group “International Media and Humanitarian Aide and Rescue Project”; Lisa Beth Clapier, a “live broadcast transmedia producer” affiliated with the World Peace One and Unify Org. ; and another foreigner went to the former residence of Angel Manalo and Lolita Hemedez at no. 36 Tandang Sora Avenue in Quezon City to supposedly inspect the premises in connection with alleged human rights violations committed in the property.
“It’s not about money but how we can help our countrymen. Not that I don’t care about the case, what we are here, specifically, is for the humanitarian issue that’s happening. There are people and children inside and we are here to confirm reports ourselves,” Angeles told reporters.
Donning shades and a black vest, Angeles added: “Our group from the United Nations and other interfaith groups are waiting for our inputs. We are talking about global heads of states here, but we cannot disclose their names right now. We are talking about UN level. Global level na po ito. Hindi po ito maliitin just because tatlo lang po kami. We can reach billions of people right now. I need to bring light.”
Clapier was holding her passport, while Angeles wore an “International Media” press ID written with his name and designation as peace emissary/special operations for the Humanitarian Aid and Rescue Project. They and another foreigner were holding cell phone video cameras while being interviewed by reporters.
On Sunday, an earlier invitation sent to media identified Angeles and Clapier as UN-NGO representatives who would lead a fact-finding commission that would “investigate HR violations against the residents.”
Among those who came to press conference were reporters from ABS-CBN, Inquirer, Net25 and INC’s Eagle broadcasting. Other media were not sent invitations.
A security officer from the United Nations office in Makati City, however, said Angeles was not connected with the United Nations.
“Had he been, it is part of our protocol that a local UN officer will accompany him in any UN-related operations. There was no advice to us. Also there is no UN in Los Angeles, only in New York,” he added.
Angeles, a former INC member who was expelled from the Church, said he still loved INC, the church of Christ. His move, he said, would show his love for INC members.
INC lawyers Wilfredo Santos and Zeromsky Pineda, however, barred them from entering the compound and questioned their affiliations and the absence of proper orders from their respective organizations. Some 10 INC guards and a bomb-sniffing dog were standing in front of the property to bar Angeles and Clapier.
Initially, Clapier introduced herself as a journalist, then went on talking about peace, her “sister” who was inside the area, and the coconut trees in response to reporters’ probing. When asked to expound on her sister, she said, other information were confidential.
When pressed again, she said she was invited to go to the area, but did not mention who exactly invited her. When one of the INC counsels threatened to call the police because she was a tourist, Clapier responded that she was for peace and would stay that way.
“You know why, I have every authority to be here on my own accord because I don’t take any money from anybody. You understand me?,” she said angrily.
A check of Clapier’s twitter and website, shows she is a visiting tourist whose passion is to broadcast “a culture of peace in 360-degree natural dome transmedia environments.”
Angeles, meanwhile, is a former INC member in Northern California, who initially identified himself as affiliated with the UN, but later told probers that he was a member of the press assisting Clapier.
Angeles, when asked about his real identity by the INC legal team, simply said he still loved INC despite being expelled. “I love the church. But the perception of the people (is my concern), magkakapatid po tayo… I hope there will be tribunal and the council should not just expel members when they do have questions,” he added.
“The problem is: this is not something we just can be quiet about. Nobody is doing anything even about the commission of human rights violations. Why are you not doing anything?” he added, saying the mission to check was given to him because he was from the Philippines.
When one of the INC counsels told him to go back to church and ask forgiveness if he really loved the church, he responded immediately: “Opo, opo, tunay po! if possible tomorrow,” when asked about the date of his return.
Angeles could not directly tell reporters and lawyers he was commissioned by the United Nations, but still stood by his claims that he was connected with the United Nations, “and Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.” “You can call the UN,” he said, dropping names like the Countess of Tatiana.
He could not give his personal number, saying he just borrowed his number. He left his Icloud email address to the media.
Hours after the incident at the INC property, Angeles replied to the Inquirer using the icloud email. He also talked about INC’s orders on the “removal of guard house and the exceedingly high fence. “We are still deciding on returning to (Tandang Sora) as we are in conversations with members of our team from US and those in assignments in other countries,” he said in his “email.”
In a text message sent to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, INC spokesperson Edwil Zabala, found the two personalities dubious.
“…Angeles first used the name of the United Nations when an invitation to media was sent but later admitted that he has no authority from U.N. He never provided us with documents identifying their purpose for wanting to enter our property, nor did they coordinate with us prior to date,” Zabala said.
Zabala added he remembered Angeles as an expelled Church member who claimed to be “sent” by God to preach to the INC, while Clapier was just “led to believe he was going to attend an interfaith meeting (here)…If you were in our position, would you open YOUR gates?”
When asked by the guards and legal team of INC, they showed a Sept. 29 court order issued by the Branch 222 of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court, which has directed involved parties to “work out… as a temporary arrangement regarding the monitoring and identification of persons coming in and out of subject premises other than the lawful occupants therein.”
“This means, anybody can come and inspect the area. There is no court order that will prevent anyone from doing so,” Trixie Angeles, legal counsel of the Manalos said. “As I understand (Humphry) Angeles is mandated by his affiliate organization; they do not need a mission order,” she told the Inquirer in a telephone interview.
Humphry Angeles, however, could not explain the contents of the court order, saying his main concern was the humanitarian issue.
Lawyer Trixie Angeles, who earlier met Humphry Angeles and Clapier who asked for an update on the case, did not think Humphry represented himself as a UN representative.
Trixie Angeles has said she is in no way related to Humphry Angeles. SFM