This is really interesting. They seem to divert the attention away from themselves, while not addressing the issue directly. If fear is their motivation, there is certainly some truths in Samson’s case.
Former INC minister sues church execs over illegal detention; INC fires back
A former minister of Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) has lodged a criminal complaint against INC officials for allegedly harassing and illegally detaining him and his family.
In a complaint affidavit filed with the Department of Justice, Samson, who was former editor-in-chief of INC’s official publication Pasugo accused the respondents of harassment, illegal detention, threats and coercion of him and his family.
Named respondents were Glicerio Santos Jr, head of the Sanggunian, the highest administrative council of the INC; Radel Cortez, Bienvenido Santiago Sr, Mathusalem Pareja, Rolando Esguerra, Erano Codera, Rodelio Cabrera and Maximo Bularan.
“During the course of my membership, I obtained personal knowledge of several suspicious transactions entered into by one Glicerio Santos, Jr., who is also a minister; and a member and de facto leader of the said Sanggunian,” read Samson’s complaint.
Samson said INC’s charitable activity “Lingap Pamamahayag” involved questionable transactions that were “very seldom” evaluated or audited by the INC leadership.
“As a result of this knowledge, I began questioning these transactions and policies set by the Sanggunian, which I felt were against the avowed principles of our faith; not to mention that these activities amounted to a serious mishandling of the finances of the INC,” he said.
In a statement written in Filipino, Iglesia Ni Cristo said it was but right for their church to enforce discipline in accord with their rules after Samson and other now-dismissed ministers had sought to sow discord.
But after the INC had addressed Samson in their first part of their statement, the INC then directed their attention toward the DOJ and Justice Secretary de Lima in particular.
“Ang pagsusulong ng reklamong inihain ni Samson ay napag-alaman naming nagawa sa ilalim ng patnubay ni Sec. Leila de Lima, sapagkat labis at di-pangkarinawan ang atensyon na iniukol niya — Ano kaya ang motibo niya? — siya pa mismo ang personal na nag-asikaso sa nasabing reklamo,” the INC said.
Iglesia ni Cristo then slammed De Lima for not giving the same attention to the case of the 44 fallen commandos of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) who died during an encounter against armed groups in Mamasapano, Maguindanao in January.
Two of the fallen 44 SAF members were members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo.
“Kumapara sa apatnapu’t apat na sundalo na napatay sa Mamasapano–dito sa inirereklamo ni Samson ay wala ni isang lamok na napatay. Halata namang kasinungalingan ang sinasabi ng mga nagrereklamo,” it stated.
The group urged De Lima and the DOJ to focus on the Mamasapano case instead.
Image credit: GMA News/Ian Cruz
Before Samson shared his story, problems within the Iglesia Ni Cristo were revealed a few days before the group’s 101st anniversary. Angel Manalo, brother of executive minister Eduardo Manalo, and Tenny Manalo, their mother released a video appealing for help. They said their lives are in danger and some ministers were kidnapped and illegally detained. Angel and Tenny have been expelled.
Both Samson and Angel have alleged that corruption has hounded the church leadership. But Iglesia Ni Cristo has denied all accusations.
Samson’s charges
Samson recalled an incident during a Lingap activity for Yolanda victims, in which organizers requested P1.7 million from the Sanggunian for additional rice and hiring transportation for the distribution of relief goods.
He claimed when Santos, head of the Sanggunian, reported the request to the executive minister, he asked for P9 million, and not just P1.7 million.
Samson said he would later learn of other similar incidents involving siphoning of Church funds, with the names of Santos and other Sanggunian members being linked to them.
“In a sense, it seemed to me that the current Sanggunian membership has been implementing a pervasive policy of deception, fraud and corruption to serve their own individual greed,” he said.
Samson said on July 15, 2015, the head of the human resources office of the INC asked for his, his wife, and son’s passports to be examined for an ongoing investigation within the church.
“Little did I know that that would mark the beginning of what would become a series of planned and concerted efforts to persecute my family and myself, to the great prejudice of our constitutional and statutory rights;” Samson said.
In July 2015, Samson said the respondents went to his office at the INC Central Office in Commonwealth, Quezon City to tell him he was being held “under house arrest.”
Several of the respondents also forced their way into his residence and forcibly took his home computer. His phone and his office computer, his son’s phone and laptop, as well as their service vehicle were likewise confiscated.
“This made my family and me feel no different from a common criminal who is under arrest and being taken to attend court hearings, or anywhere for that matter, by armed policemen,” said Samson, adding that he and his family had been prohibited from going out of their residence.
Samson said the Sanggunian had repeatedly accused him of being Antonio Ramirez Ebanghelista, who runs a blog that exposed supposed irregularities within the church.
On July 22, Esguerra dropped by their house telling Samson he was to be interviewed on TV and that he [Samson] should deny reports of the abduction of several INC ministers, which by then had just gone public through the media.
Samson was also instructed to deny that he and his family were being held against their will.
The following day, on July 23, Samson and his family succeeded in escaping by telling the guards guarding their home that they were attending worship service. He later held a press conference where he made allegations of irregularities within the INC.
Samson also demanded indemnification of all damages from the respondents, as well as compensation of all expenses his family had to shoulder due to the respondents’ alleged illegal acts. — with Trisha Macas/ELR/NB, GMA News
– See more at: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/534483/news/nation/former-inc-minister-sues-church-execs-over-illegal-detention-inc-fires-back#sthash.CSecARxH.dpuf