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An expelled minister of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) on Tue, Jun 28, claimed that policemen were blocking food deliveries to the residence of Angel Manalo, the brother of INC executive minister Eduardo Manalo.
”Police are turning away food and water deliveries to the brethren in Manalo compound. Brethren inside are short of food and water. Asking for media assistance on this human rights violation. Please help. Thank you,” said former INC minister Roel Rosal in a text message.
Food deliveries have been arriving at the Manalo residence in Tandang Sora, Quezon City since the crisis in the sect started last week.
The food deliveries were reportedly paid for by INC members supportive of the cause of expelled members Angel and mother Tenny.
Rosal is one of the most vocal former members of the sect, along with expelled minister Isaias Samson Jr. and former member Joy Yuson.
Rosal has alleged that several INC district ministers extort money from local politicians in exchange for the group’s bloc vote.
He named two of them in an Inquirer report as Israel Flores of Parañaque, and Albert Dy of Bulacan.
Samson, meantime, has alleged that the INC general auditor Glicerio Santos Jr. is behind the massive corruption in the church.
Yuson backed Samson’s claims, saying INC’s ”Lingap sa Mamamayan” outreach program is being used by unscrupulous INC officials to enrich themselves. Yuson also claimed that Eduardo has not been talking to his mother Tenny for six years already.
Cracks in the powerful century-old indigenous Christian group were revealed when relatives of the INC executive minister called for help and alleged rampant corruption and high-living within the religious group.
Angel and Tenny, in a YouTube video posted last week, said their lives were in danger and that some of the INC’s ministers critical of the current INC leadership had been abducted and were being held against their will.
The INC decided to expel Tenny, Angel after their video made the rounds online.
Angel’s siblings, Lolita ”Lottie” Manalo-Hernandez and Marco Eraño Villanueva Manalo, were also reportedly expelled from the group.
After surfacing on Friday for the first time since the scandal broke, Angelo again talked to the media on Monday, this time asking Eduardo to talk to them.
Angelo also named Santos and Sanggunian member Radel Cortez as being behind the alleged corruption in the INC. —with a report from Niko Baua, ABS-CBN News
This article has been re-published with permission from ABS-CBNnews.com.
