(Eagle News) — Protesters, composed mostly of expelled members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo in California, numbering to about 60, staged a rally on Oct. 31 in Anaheim, California to disturb the holding of scheduled family fun day activities of the INC that day.
The rally was also timed to coincide with the 60th birthday of INC executive minister Eduardo V. Manalo.
Wearing masks and holding placards demanding reforms in the INC, the former INC members tried to disturb the peaceful holding of the “Funstastical Family Fun Day” INC activity where INC families in the district of Southern California celebrated family activities in line with the teachings of the Bible. This is also to veer away from traditional Catholic practices of Halloween that the INC do not follow.
“Here today in Southern California, the whole district celebrated the Family Fun Day wherein so many of the brethren came together to show their unity,” said INC minister from the US Main Office Ramil Regino.
He noted how the protesters tried to disturb the peaceful holding of INC activities everytime thay staged their rallies.
“During the time that they were persecuting us here, there was also a general cleaning of the chapel,” he said.
The protesters even tried to stop the NET 25 news team from filming their rally, and tried to call the police to stop the news camera team.
But when the police came, the protesters were advised not to disturb the holding of the INC’s peaceful activities that day instead.
Remigio Gutierrez, an INC member from the locale of Anaheim, noted how the protesters wore masks, saying that they probably timed the holding of the rally during the traditional Halloween of the Catholics to justify this.
INC southern California district minister Jonathan Jamias said the activities of the protesters showed that they are not true INC members.
“The Bible teaches true Christians, true Iglesia Ni Cristo members, don’t cause divisions within the Church of Christ,” said Jamias of the placard-holding expelled INC members.
This is the third time this same group of protesters have taken to the streets.
Before this, they held their protests in Northern California.
On each occasion, the protests were timed during momentous activities of the INC. This latest protest rally was particularly timed during the birthday of the INC executive minister.
“No matter what they do, no matter what they say against the Church, against the Church Administration, the brethren especially here in Southern California, we are solid in our faith and we will continue to submit to the Almighty God, to our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the Church Administration,” INC district minister Jamias said.
The protesters chose to remain masks as they staged their silent protests, waving placards that denounced the current INC Church Administration and the INC’s Sanggunian, or advisory council members.
Emil Obar, an INC member from the locale of Anaheim, said the fact that the protesters wore masks meant that they were the ones who were trying to hide.
“Sa tingin ko po ay kinukubli nila ang sarili nila. Ewan ko kung sila’y nahihiya. Sana po ay mahiya sila sa Panginoon at hindi sa tao,” Obar said.
Julius Malabanan, an INC minister assigned in Pasadena, California, noted how the protesters’ move to hide behind masks meant that they are not themselves convinced of the rightness of their actions.
“I say you hide behind a mask because you are hiding something. You would not be afraid If you knew you were right. You will have nothing to hide from if you knew you were right. They are not right,” Malabanan noted.
For Louise Tamayose, an INC member, these protest activities of the expelled INC members are “useless.”
Virgino Ramilo, the INC minister assigned in Anaheim, said the recent events, including the latest protest actions of the INC members, have had no effect whatsoever on any members of their locale congregation.
The INC members in Southern California even vowed to always obey and submit to the INC Church Administration under the leadership of INC Executive Minister Eduardo V. Manalo.
“Always obey. Always follow the commandments of the Lord God. We know what is right, we know what is true. We know that the day of salvation is at hand. We will stay united with the one that the Lord God placed to lead us,” INC minister Malabanan said.
(Eagle News Service, reporting by Eagle News US correspondent Ernani Zapanta)
