More than two years ago, the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) endorsed the tandem of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte, who eventually won as the country’s two highest leaders.
How will the INC position itself now that war has erupted between Marcos and Duterte?
The INC, a 110-year-old Christian church of 2.8 million members, is either playing its cards with caution or engaging in doublespeak.
In a report by INC-owned channel NET25, the homegrown church announced it is preparing for a “peaceful protest” in support of, uhm… both Marcos and Duterte?
“The Iglesia ni Cristo is now preparing for a peaceful protest to support the opinion of President Marcos Jr. that opposes an impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte,” reported NET25 anchor Alex Santos on Wednesday, December 4.
“The Iglesia ni Cristo stands for peace and does not agree with any kind of chaos that will come from any side,” the anchor added.
Both the Marcos and Duterte camps have courted the support of INC’s executive minister, Eduardo V. Manalo, over the past two months.
On October 1, the Vice President visited Manalo at the INC Central Office to thank the church for its humanitarian efforts, especially in times of calamity.
On October 10, it was the turn of her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, to visit Manalo. The former president, who came with his longtime aide Senator Bong Go, also thanked the church for helping the needy.
On October 29, Marcos visited Manalo, bringing along First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and their son Ilocos Norte 1st District Representative Sandro Marcos. It was two days before Manalo’s 69th birthday on October 31.
A day after the visit, Marcos released a public statement greeting Manalo on his 69th birthday, expressing “our gratitude and admiration for your dedication to leadership and guidance in the Iglesia ni Cristo.”
The most eloquent gift from Marcos, however, was in the form of a presidential declaration issued on Manalo’s birthday itself: July 27, 2025, the 111th foundation anniversary of the INC, will be a nonworking holiday. (But, eep, it falls on a Sunday, which is often a day off anyway.)
Politicians such as Marcos and Duterte court the INC because of its election promise: a bloc voting system in which all members are required to vote for the church’s chosen candidates.
Questions have been cast, however, about its bloc voting system. Church critics have said the INC endorses candidates who are survey leaders in the first place, guaranteeing a victory that can then be falsely attributed to the church’s influence.
In a 2016 exit poll conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS), only 77.2% of INC members said they voted for Rodrigo Duterte, who won the church’s endorsement for president.
But politics, as they say, is addition. Every vote — and ally — matters in times of political crisis.
And when two political giants clash and compete for the middle player, guess who’s the big winner? – Rappler.com