AN expelled INC minister, Roel Rosal, on Tuesday accused the Quezon City police of taking sides in the ongoing controversy in the Iglesia ni Cristo and claimed policemen were preventing the delivery of food items to the residence of Felix Nathaniel “Angel” Manalo, 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,” Rosal said in a text message asking for help from journalists.
Rosal, one of the most vocal critics of the INC leadership, claimed that the police are preventing the delivery of food that were paid for by INC members who support Angel Manalo and his mother Christina, also known as Ka Tenny.
Rosal also spoke with journalists Tuesday afternoon to reiterate his claims against the current leadership of the organization and urge other INC members to hold a vigil against alleged corruption in the group.
Angel Manalo agaisn asked his brother Eduardo Manalo to meet with their mother even after Eduardo expelled his siblings from the church for supposedly sowing disharmony.
Meanwhile, INC spokesperson Edwil Zabala denied any irregularity in the church which celebrated its 101st anniversary on Sunday.
The ongoing controversy emerged last week after Angel posted a video on YouTube claiming that they were being held hostage inside their home in Tandang Sora Avenue in Quezon City, but the police claimed they spoke with Angel and determined there was no hostage-taking.
It was later learned that Angel and his supporters were reacting to a supposed crackdown on ministers who have exposed alleged corruption and anomalous activities within the church, with at least 10 ministers placed under house arrest and several others expelled.
Isaias Samson Jr., former editor-in-chief of INC’s official publication, Pasugo, escaped his armed captors early dawn on Thursday and accused the group’s leadership of peddling lies and perpetuating corrupt activities.
The INC leadership, through general evangelist and spokesman Bienvenido Santiago, denied allegations that some of its ministers were abducted.
The crackdown on the ministers, according to a certain Antonio Ebangelista who maintains the blog Iglesia Ni Cristo – Silent No More (https://incsilentnomore.wordpress.com), was part of an effort to locate the blogger.
Ebangelista claimed in his blog that among the ministers who were abducted were Nolan Olarte from Cebu, Boyet Menorca from Sorsogon, and Joven Sepillo from Tacloban.
In a separate interview, Rosal said he was among the ministers who were expelled to prevent them from exposing the misuse of INC funds which came from members’ tithes.
“We are fighting the corruption and the reckless expulsion of members who are only exposing the truth [on how] they have spent Iglesia tithe on vehicles to support their lavish lifestyle,” Rosal said.