INC ‘super bullying’ gov’t – Saguisag
Updated 23:16 PM PHT Mon, August 31, 2015
Lawyer Rene Saguisag said that no one is above the law and if a criminal complaint is lodged against any group — religious or non-religious — it would be the duty of the government to act upon it.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Former senator and human rights stalwart Rene Saguisag likens the recent protest action of Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) to what China has been doing in the West Philippine Sea: “super bullying” the Philippine government.
“I see INC super bullying us… What they’re doing is they’re bullying the government, bullying the DOJ (Department of Justice), bullying Leila (de Lima),” Saguisag said on Monday (August 31).
He said that in the same way that the government cannot interfere with INC’s internal affairs, the religious group also cannot dictate upon the government — in reference to the constitutional provision of the separation of the church and state.
The INC staged a five-day rally in protest of what its members claimed as an intrusion in their affairs in relation to a serious illegal detention case filed at the DOJ by their former minister Isaias Samson Jr.
The group had apologized for the traffic snarls caused by their actions but said they had to fight for their religious freedom.
Related: Iglesia ni Cristo ends 5-day protest
Saguisag explained that if a criminal complaint is lodged against any group — religious or nonreligious — it would be the duty of the government to act upon it.
“No one is above the law,” he called out to INC members.
He also said the De Lima should not waver in the face of the group’s pressure — even if it would mean getting axed.
“If Leila loses her job, she will win the support of millions of Filipinos who respect the separation of the church and state.”
The INC touts of some two million members whom they claim vote as a bloc, and therefore, a force supposedly to reckon with at the polls.
INC ‘flexing its muscle’
Meanwhile, the camp of Samson called upon President Benigno Aquino III and Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II to come clean regarding “an agreement” forged with the INC for the religious sect to call off its rally — which had disrupted businesses and commuters alike for days.
Lawyers Trixie Cruz-Angeles and Ahmed Paglinawan said in a statement also on Monday that “a criminal case is not a political pawn” that can be compromised.
“The president can grant pardons and issue clemency and amnesty. But you do NOT have the power to refuse prosecution,” they pointed out.
Angeles and Samson called on Aquino and Roxas to be transparent about what the supposed “deal” was about, lest it may trample upon the legal rights of their client.
Samson’s counsels also shared Saguisag’s sentiments on how the INC got its way by causing a disruption along Edsa.
“The idea is to make the public feel that they had flexed their muscle and the government has responded in a manner favorable to them. The idea is to make us feel that in relation to whatever it is they were rallying for (or against), the government has capitulated,” the statement said.
CNN Philippines’ Anjo Alimario contributed to this report.
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