What are INC heads fighting about?

After his expulsion from Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), Felix Nathaniel “Angel” Manalo disclosed the real reason behind the rift within the Manalos, the family that founded the powerful church with over 1 million followers all over the world.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, July 24, Angel questioned the construction of the Philippine arena, the world’s largest indoor arena located in Bocaue, Bulacan. Considered as the world’s largest domed structure, the 55,000-seat arena was funded using donations from the church amounting to $200 million or P7.8 billion.

“Isa na ang Philippine Arena sa ipinagtataka ko kung bakit nabuo dahil ang laging priority na aming ipinapagawa ay ang mga malalaking kapilya po. Bakit ngayon napunta ang pokus natin doon? Sana man lang kung hindi nauubos ang pondo para sa paggawa ng mga kapilya,” Angel told reporters.

(I am wondering why the Philippine arena was built considering that we always prioritize the construction of big chapels. Why did we focus on building it? I hope the fund for the construction of chapels wasn’t all consumed.)

On Thursday, July 23, Isaias Samson Jr., a former editor of Pasugo, the official publication of INC, discussed how corruption apparently exists in the century-old international religious denomination.

Samson used donated sacks of rice as an example of how corruption thrives in INC, particularly in its socio-civi program Lingap sa Mamamayan.

“Tungkol sa ipinamamahagi sa Lingap, halimbawa bigas, kahit na makukuha lang ang isang sakong bigas ng P1,700 o P1,750, eh magugulat ka ang ibinayad pala ay P1,900 o P1,950,” he explained.

(With regards to donations made by Lingap, you can get a sack of rice for P1,700 or P1,750 but you will be surprised to learn that they paid P1,900 or P1,950.)