(Eagle News) — The Iglesia Ni Cristo’s “peaceful assembly” asserting that the government should respect the constitutional provision on the separation of the Church and State might go on, even after Monday, Aug. 31.
INC spokesperson minister Edwil Zabala said he could not say until when the peaceful assembly will last.
He said only the INC’s Church Administration would be able to answer this.
“Ang totoo itong peaceful assembly na ito, na dinadaluhan natin ngayon, hindi natin masabi kung hanggang kailan ito. Tanging ang Pamamahala sa loob ng Iglesia ang makapagsasabi kung kailan magwawakas ito,” Zabala said in an interview with NET 25 in EDSA Mandaluyong where the INC’s rally was being held.
Zabala also asked for the public’s understanding for the INC members’ assembly along EDSA.
According to him, it is not only the Iglesia Ni Cristo members who had conducted such peaceful gatherings in this venue, but those from other groups as well.
He said the INC members respected and understood those who also staged their rallies along EDSA before.
“Lahat ng naglunsad ng mga ganitong pagtitipon ay inunawa at nirespeto ng Iglesia Ni Cristo lalo’t may permiso at higit sa lahat ay hindi naman labag sa batas,” he said.
“Ang mga ibang nag-rally ay inunawa natin ang kanilang kalayaan at karapatan na maisagawa ang ganitong uri rin ng mapayapang pagtitipon, dahil nakasaad naman ito sa ating Konstitusyon,” Zabala said.
The INC members’ peaceful assembly entered its third day on Saturday, Aug. 29. This time the members converged along EDSA near Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong City where the INC was able to get a permit from the city government. The INC members started their rally in front of the DOJ on Thursday afternoon (Aug. 27)
The INC members protested what they called the Department of Justice’s infringement of the INC’s internal policies, particularly its process of discipline for its members.
More INC members from the provinces will reportedly go to the EDSA rally because of the government’s alleged insensitivity to the INC’s call to respect the Church-State provision of the Constitution.
Earlier this week, on Wednesday, Aug. 26, the INC issued a statement denouncing Justice Secretary Leila de Lima’s personal involvement in helping file the complaint of an expelled minister of the INC, Isaias Samson Jr., for harassment, illegal detention, coercion, and threats.
Those charged in the complaint were eight top ministers of the INC who are members of the Sanggunian or Council of Ministers of the INC Church Administration. Those charged or named in Samson’s complaint were INC ministers Glicerio B. Santos Jr., Radel G. Cortez, Bienvenido C. Santiago, Sr., Mathusalem V. Pareja, Rolando Esguerra, Eraño Codera, Rodelio Cabrerra and Maximo Bularan.
The INC had said in a statement that the process of disciplining its ministers was an internal matter that should not be meddled with by the government.
“Natural lamang na kailangang ipatupad ng Iglesia ang mga disiplina, na ayon sa mga aral at mga tuntunin na itinataguyod ng organisasyong ito mula pa noong una, na pawang nakasalig sa Banal na Kasulatan o Biblia. Karapatan naman ng organisasyong ito, at marahil ng alinmang organisasyon, na dumipensa laban sa sinuman na gustong puminsala rito. Kaya may mga pagsisiyasat na kinailangang gawin, may mga pagsususpinde sa pagtupad ng tungkulin ng iba, at mayroon din na mga kailangang itiwalag. At iyan naman ay naiintindihan at itinataguyod noon ng mga taong yan na inalis nga sa Iglesia. Sapagkat iyon ang paraan para mapanatili ang pagkakaisa sa Iglesia Ni Cristo – dalhin sa labas ng Iglesia ang mga nanggugulo at nagtatangkang maghasik ng pagkakabaha-bahagi. (It is just natural for the Church to impose such disciplines, as laid down by the teachings and policies being upheld by this organization from the very start, all of which are based on the Holy Scripture or the Bible. It is the right of this organization — and probably of any other organization as well — to defend itself from those who would like to destroy it. That is why there is the required scrutiny that should be done, the suspension from fulfilling of Church duties by others, and the expulsion of members from the Church if necessary. And these are all understood and were in fact upheld before even by those individuals who have now been expelled from the Church. Because this is the way by which to maintain unity in the Church – to bring outside of the Church those who are causing trouble and who are trying to sow disunity,” stated the INC statement which was read before by INC General Evangelist Bienvenido C. Santiago.