Iglesia disowns 'tagubilin' telling members to hold EDSA protest until Monday

Published August 30, 2015 5:25pm

Iglesia ni Cristo on Sunday disowned a "tagubilin" or advisory supposedly issued to its members to hold a massive protest on the violation of separation of Church and state.

In a phone interview with GMA News Online, spokesperson Edwil Zabala said there are groups trying to "sow confusion" among the Iglesia ni Cristo members.

"Walang ganung tagubilin na binasa. Palagay ko ito ay same thing na pagtatrabaho sa Iglesia, katulad nung nagkaroon ng text blasts sa Faura," Zabala said.

The supposed advisory instructs Iglesia members to troop to EDSA and protest the following issues: separation of Church and state, Mamasapano massacre, use of PCOS machines, and the Disbursement Acceleration Program.

Zabala explained that they initially planned to hold protests outisde the DOJ office along Padre Faura street in Manila.

However, text messages were sent out to their members to converge in two malls near the intersection of EDSA and Shaw Boulevard. Zabala said this was part of the "misinformation," hoping to stop the protest in Manila.

"Maraming nagpunta ng EDSA nung Friday, yung nagpunta sa Shang at Megamall, they had trooped to Shaw kasi umulan, tinawagan ng mga nasa Faura na tutal andun na sila [sa Edsa], pupuntahan na lang sila so they started the march all the way to Shaw at doon, may nag-apply na ng permit to rally," Zabala explained.

Zabala said Iglesia ni Cristo applied for a one-day extension of the permit to rally granted to them by the local government of Mandaluyong, which was initially until midnight of Sunday.

He hoped that motorists and the commuting public will understand their protest as their members caused heavy traffic in Metro Manila's major highway during a long weekend.

"We're hoping na itong mga nagagalit sana, if they take a second look, maisip nila na 'bakit kaya nila tinitiis ang galit natin?' Tinitiis namin ang init ng ulo ng publiko dahil sa far graver consequence 'pag hindi namin ipinagtanggol ang Iglesia," he said.

The church wants Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to stop investigating its leaders over the illegal detention charges filed by its expelled minister, Isaias Samson Jr.

Zabala claims De Lima told their former members to file the complaint against Iglesia.

"The Justice Secretary took the shortcut method by telling a former member to file the complaint. Clear bias na agad 'yun," he said.

"Every time na lang na may member na may magrereklamo, they will go to Justice Secretary? Meron bang powers ang DOJ to review ang doctrine na 101 years na nandyan?" Zabala added. —ALG, GMA News

Tags: iglesianicristo