Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) has just issued an apology for the epic traffic that was a result of their mass action in EDSA in the last three days. They are claiming it was never intended. EDSA was never in their plan. INC Spokesman Edwil Zabala said in a radio interview that prior to their move to EDSA. while they were still in Padre Faura, their members were receiving confusing SMS messages urging them to proceed to the EDSA Shrine, to Shaw, to Guadalupe, and some asking them to stay put. By the time they realized the SMS messages were a “disinformation” campaign (which they later surmised was meant to disperse their crowd) a good number of their members were already on EDSA. It was this that triggered them to decide that they may as well all proceed to EDSA to keep the crowd intact and counter the disinformation.
I told myself that Zabala better tell this to the Marines, but that won’t be kind to the Marines, so we might as well give INC the benefit of the doubt. Top Gear Philippines labelled the traffic “Carmaggedon”. It was indeed an Armaggedon of a traffic jam, and if there is karma to be delivered out of it, let it fall on whoever deliberately caused it, if it was deliberately caused. Bahala na si Madam Karma sa kanila.
| SUPPORT INDEPENDENT SOCIAL COMMENTARY! Subscribe to our Substack community GRP Insider to receive by email our in-depth free weekly newsletter. Opt into a paid subscription and you'll get premium insider briefs and insights from us. Subscribe to our Substack newsletter, GRP Insider! Learn more |
Do we accept the apology, people? What can we do? Even if we ask that they be fined for the damages the mass action inflicted on the economy, who is going to implement it? We have confirmed by now that the administration of President Benigno Simeon “BS” Aquino pisses on its pants when INC demands something. I understand now why Pinoys love to call him PNoy and not a Balut. Of course, that does not make any difference. Penoy and balut are both unhatched, and any would still be descriptive of an administration that never got near being hatched even if they have been warmly incubating in their chairs for the last five years.
Let us accept the apology as quickly as we can. That is before something worse happens. Because, come to think of it, PNoy (and now, Mar Roxas) said that traffic is a sign of progress. If we don’t watch it, PNoy, instead of imposing a fine, might be thanking INC profusely for the epic progress the Carmageddon brought, and before we know it, some more millions of DAP might have been dispensed to this group founded by Kapatid Felix Manalo. Probably, that could explain why they win in the end — Kita nyo, kami ay nanalo, nun ang EDSA ay halo-halo.
Lee Kuan Yew said that what is wrong with Filipinos is that we are a very forgiving people. What he means is that because we don’t have principles and convictions, forgiveness becomes an easy thing to do. Indeed, the Singaporean leader is a very observant statesman. Where he falls short is in observing that a good half of our people do not often have enough food in their table. Some don’t even bother to have a table for there is no food to begin with. They will always be in a quandary on whether principle and conviction are good substitutes food; more likely, food for the mind will be farthest from their minds. Food for the mind comes first, certainly, but when we have a society where the powers-that-be want to have more of those who have no food for the stomach, which comes first will always be a debate.
Profound as that may be, what we have since 2010 is a desert of apologies from our leaders. When they are needed most, and when they matter, such apologies don’t come. So, the apology of INC looks like an oasis in this desert. It proves that they are, after all, more decent, and normal human beings than PNoy.
We, of course, will never know who won in this scuffle between PNoy and INC. Both sides have been eerily quiet on what transpired in the backroom maneuvering. What was compromised, and who gave in, nobody wants to talk. We don’t even know if the INC negotiators were irritated by the supercilious smile ever present in the face of PNoy while they sat across him. Maybe, the Cabinet asked PNoy not to be present less there again be a failure of negotiations, and eight Hong Kong tourists will again die in a bus parked in Luneta.
For a while, actually, I was worried PNoy might send Senator Antonio Trillanes to negotiate. He sent the senator to China to negotiate the dispute on the West Philippine Sea. A month after, China started building a base on the Spratlys, and we couldn’t do anything about it. Trillanes negotiating with the INC, oh gosh, could result in INC building a temple right in the middle of the intersection of EDSA and Shaw. Imagine, protest today, a month after, meron na silang temple sa intersection mismo? Well, what can we say? When stupidity rains, it pours.
All we know at this point is that INC has decided to end their protest. Ay, salamat naman. When this was announced, witnesses saw the rally participants jumping and running with joy. What? Did they feel released from an overbearing duty?
Whatever, there is also the likelihood that nobody won in this latest adventure. For sure, it was us who lost. There must have been several flights missed; business opportunities gone. There must also have been perishable goods that had to be thrown away because they didn’t arrive on time. Just imagine all that fuel wasted. We can only hope that there were no deaths because ambulances were delayed. Of course, we will never be able to comprehend the individual anguish of those caught in it. Oh, and all those bladders wanting to burst? Gosh, it must have been like heaven when they could finally be relieved.
This is the beauty of social media that netizens could force two opposing parties to sit down and talk. At one point, #EDSA, #IglesiaNiCristo, and #DeLimaBringTheTruth were alternating trending topics worldwide. INC must have underestimated the backlash. They probably didn’t even anticipate that instead of making a heel out of Secretary De Lima, they made a hero out her even if only for several hours. Sec. De Lima was the admired feisty human rights lawyer, but the student council mentality of the inner circle of PNoy, everyone calls as the KKK, must have been too much for her. The virus of the KKK seems virulent, and soon, she became one of them and then the chief implementer of selective justice, and the old, admired De Lima went to Antartica, probably never to come back.
Even then, netizens are netizens, and they could see through the smokescreen that INC had set up. INC was not fighting for anything except to protect eight members of their Sanggunian who are at risk of being charged with the unbailable offense of illegal detention of Isias Samson and his family. They were not fighting for religious freedom, the separation of church and state, or anything noble, and it was a strategic mistake on their part. People could spot from a mile away a noble cause worth fighting for. If INC had this, they would probably have gotten the support of even many non-INC people. Unfortunately, there was nothing noble about their mass action, and netizens saw that they were more evil than Sec De Lima, and thus #DeLimaBringTheTruth was very much a trending topic.
We could count on several collateral damages by the big mis-steps on both sides. Apart from the reputation of INC that will now take time for them to repair, Grace Poe must have been the one hardest hit. She came out early in support INC giving the impression, rightly or wrongly, that she was against de Lima. Today, her PR people were all over media trying to correct things. They said that Poe never said that the case of Isias Samson should not be heard by DOJ. Poe added that that would be totally against justice if somebody stops the case. Unfortunately, first impression last, and Poe is no longer seen as a neophyte, but a TraPo (traditional politician), or TraPoe. All other presidentiables were also hurt. But, how can you inflict more damage on those whose reputations are already damaged in the first place?
Additionally, it just confirmed once again what we already know. The President, who they claim is the best President the Republic ever had, disappears whenever there is a crisis.
There must be some bat cave near Malacañang where he sneaks off to hide when the going gets rough. The THEY who claim PNoy is the best must be the bats, for we know normal people consider him to be the worst. Total absence of leadership will definitely be his legacy.
All is now quiet on all fronts. #SAF44 happened when there was nobody looking. Right now, Isias Samson, his wife and child are scared for their life. Let us not have anymore heartbreaking incident please. SAF44 was already too much, we can’t afford anymore an #INC3.
GRP Featured Comment hall-of-famer. Former executive of the Far East Regional Office of a US-based multinational company living out of a suitcase covering the market from Tokyo to Mumbai to Melbourne, and all the countries within that triangle. Got tired after logging 300k air miles per year. Now, I just have a little trading biz on specialty chemicals.
Mr. Add, you have a lot of assertions that are not simply not true.
According to my sources, and lets just say they are very very reliable. Pnoy was negotiating with INC. He did not disappear not did he go away. INC was asking for a lot but Pnoy did not give in. I guess in the end, he had to give something though.
@Orlando Gomez
He may have been physically present, but as far as the “bosses” are concerned, he was nowhere to be found. Why is it that whenever there is a crisis he disappears from the public eye. I gather that he actually never met with the INC leaders; it was always thru a middleman. What a reassuring way, I tell you, gosh. He is afraid to be opposed. He is afraid to be criticised. And yet, when he has decided on an option, he rams it down the throat of anyone. That is not being a leader, that is a good case for psychiatrists.
this the same thing happen to his father when the bomb go off in plaza miranda a liberal ninoy is not there only the salonga ang other politicial are present ninoy arrive after thr bomb go off .what the people dont know is ninoy is the master mine because he is komander dante of the NPA they blame marcos …
To all of you stupid no-good G-D-SOBs Failipinos in the Failippines…
You just sit there and tolerate it, the same way everything in your country is tolerated. Every deception, every lie, every bullet in the brains. Just as you are already tolerating bullets in the brains that will be implemented only after the bullet is put in your brains.
As far as I am concerned all religion in whatever shape or for it comes in is lies.
Very incisive blog. Keep it up!
NO NEED TO APOLOGIZE OUR BROTHERS IN CHRIST, YOU HAVE DONE WELL IN EXPOSING THE REAL SITUATION OF THE TRAFFIC CONDITION UNDER MAD PNOY BAHALA NA KAYO SA TRAFFIC CONGESTION FOR IT IS A SIGN OF PROGRESS KUNO. YOU SHOULD HAVE CONTINUE TO EXPOSE THE mAD PNOY BRIBE AND BACON BARREL OF JUSTICE CORONA
We will forgive but we will not forget, i hope non-inc people unite for may election, not by going to streets blocking the main roads , but by boycott of candidates that will be endorsed by inc. They were so arrogant though they only held 2% of voting population.
And that excuse! Come on! Your ministers are sending you video messages, if i remember it correctly, you followed to end the rally because a video message from your leader said so, them you will blame a text message for you allegedly unintentionally blocking the edsa, and besides interviewed members clearly said the minister told them to go there, noone said about receiving a text. I pity the followers of INC, it is obvious you will not be saved based on believing in your sect, because they are liars, and remember “kapatid ng sinungaling ang magnanakaw”
One inc that was interviewed said that they dont want doj to meddle with them because what if the ministers were sent to jail, will doj take over INC? Im disturb with her way of thinking, as if they view their ministers as perfect irreplaceable leaders of their church, it has somehow become a monarchial govt, if INC is a state. I hope inc members will wake up from their brainwash state before it is too late. Don’t worship your leaders, worship God, look at how he live his life, simple, and always spoke the truth, didn’t hide behind his followers when someone is questioning his teachings, he answered them all face to face. He didn’t require big temples to be built to be the venue of his teachings. If only people will have a basic critical mind, no brainwashing will be successful
But this is an idea of mine i wont push it to anyone, just want to share it. And hopefully INC will not repeat that damaging rally again. Go rally somewhere that will not cause traumatic traffic.
Walang panalo sa nangyaring ito. Ang marami, talo, meaning lahat. Nagkaiba lang yung degree ng damage. Pinaka-hard hit si Poe at yung mismong mga nag-rally para sa “karapatan” nila. Yung una, nakitang walang pinagkaiba sa mga basurang pulitiko. Yung huli, pinakitang sunud-sunuran lang sila.
Ang ipinagpapasalamat ko na lang, kahit nasa Ortigas ako nagtatrabaho, hindi ako inabot ng assembly nila.
what Zabala said is a huge lie. I myself is an INC member and it is clearly stated (said) on the announcement (serkular) after our worship service last thursday, aug. 28 that after 2 days of “peaceful rally” at DOJ, they will proceed to EDSA in front of Robinsons Galleria saturday morning onwards. How come the spokesperson is saying that the information is just from saboteurs while it is what I heard from the locale pastor at Ugong. Unless they themselves are sabotaging their plans to create more drama…
I’m just sick of what is happening lately, I can’t believe these things are happening in our church.
I hope what I’ve said about the claims (lies) of Zabala would be broadcasted since I am not in a good position to be the one doing this as this would put my membership in jeopardy.
also, upon hearing the news last friday night that they are now about to proceed to EDSA, I wondered why they changed their plans to conduct that rally on that site the next day.
Hopefully, the truth will prevail. If your elders were proven innocent, then good. Otherwise, at least the whole ordeal will help weed out bad leadership from your end.
That’s what I’ve been hoping for ever since this issues had started. For me that case is a good chance for our leaders to prove that they are innocent but instead of fighting their so called enemies head on, they chose to call upon us members to protect them and hide behind our backs. What kind of leadership is that specially when the ones you are leading are the so called children of God.
hindi mo na kailangang mag sulat pa, umalis ka na sa INC. Dami mong dakdak. Hindi ka kailangan sa INC.
maniwala ka dahil marami kayong nagoyo ng INC alam mo ba ang history kung papaano naitayo ang INC noong minsan nahahanap nahahanap ako ng ng channel na papanoonrin ko na i end up to the INC channel and they said and they make fun of the catholic church ,,the minister said thaT GOD choose felix manalo to open a church in the EAST .asfar we know all asian country are called east and there is no phili[ppines in the bible how can god choose felix manalo to open a church he even not born yet ?? sabi nila ay bawal sumamba sa statua pero si felix manalo ay may jesus christ sa kuarto niya na nakita ng tiyo ko noong gumawa sila sa buong kabahayan at ang mga anak ni manalo ay sa catholic school nagaaral si manalo ay learned the bible because dahil tinuruan sya ng isang pare na kahulugan ng bible at dahil maraming taga bukid ang hindi makasinba sa bayan dahil malayo ay si manalo ay naumpisang mangaral ng biblia sa mga taga bukid at diyan nag umpisa ang INC hindi dahil sa sugo ng diyos ..parati nilang sinisiraan ang mga katoliko gaya ng ang katawan daw at dugo ni jesus ay kinakain ng mga katoliko nag tatawa yung ministro na nagsasabi nito ..ang INC ay ibinubugaw ninyo ang mga babaeng membro ng INC dahil pag nagustuhan ng lalaki ay pinipilit na i comvert n g INC ang mga lalaking hindi membro ng INC ..alam ba ninyo kung bakit gusto ng mga ministro na dumami ang membro ng INC dahil sa pera yan nabuko na pinagaawayan na ang mga pera na nakulekta sa inyo pati na rin yung mga alkansiang puno ng pera na ibinigay ninyo sa INC pinagaawayan na mag isipisip kayo niloloko lang kayo ng INC kinukuartahan lang kayo
Pathetic. Walang kalatoy latoy basahin. Isip isip naman ng konti para may matinong mapupulot ang readers. Kung hindi kaya ng powers Nelson, tumahimik ka na lang at nagmumukha kang tanga.
There is a lot of sorry sirrrrr in the land of lip service… Sadly not much accountability exists.
Why not allow INC, to have their own brand of “Sharia Laws”? Let us have an “INC Caliphate”, headed by the INC Supremo. The “INC Caliphate” will be above any Philippine laws. The Amorous De Lima is useless in enforcing the Philippine Laws on the INC.
Or, like the Lebanese Hezbollah. A State within a State. The INC State will be within the Philippine Republic. It will be an Autonomous INC government. They will have their own laws; their own flag (that Jewish Menora flag); their own Police Force.
“Talagang tiwalag na si Mentally Retarded na Aquino!!!”
Well, Wikipedia’s “State within a State” categorizes INC as alleged state within a state
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_within_a_state
Humingi na rin kayo ng separate passport from INManalo Central Office. kasi kung umasta kayo para kayong hari. Malayo kayo sa inasal ni Jesus ( mapagpakumbaba,
nagpaka alip hanggang sa krus )hindi nyo man sinusunod ang mga ehemplo ni Jesus, basahin nyo ang biblia nyo, hindi panay na lang na may salitang ” iglesia o iglesya, mali pa ang spelling nyo sa tagalog)at sana sa INM passport nyo marami kayong bansang marating katulad ng mga bansang Europeans at North America, na karamihan sa kanila mga Katoliko at protestante, at may mga krus pa ang mga bandera ( Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Great Britain, Norway etc ) na tinatawag nyong mga aral ng demonyo.
Justice Corona was an Iglesia ni Kristo Member, He was supposed to be the Champion of the Hacienda luisita farmers that were denied of the 99 leased agreement between President Ramon Magsaysay and the Aquino Clan, that was supposed to returned the lands to the farmers but was removed by the bribed pork barrel scam of Senatong tanda and his money bathub auditors with the aid of tongressman toofast to convict. and this was the reason of why the PHilippines is the number one Corrupt country in Asia , because of this broaddaylight corruption that is ingrained in the Presidency of 32 years of MADpnoy self interest legacy that was supported by the economic hitmen of Marcos Destruction of the PHilippines. as revealed by JOhn Perkins one of the EHM squealers.