A dispute between senior members of the (INC) in the Philippines occurred in July 2015. It was reported that the INC had expelled some of its ministers, along with high-profile members Felix Nathaniel "Angel" Manalo and Cristina "Tenny" Villanueva Manalo, the brother and mother of current INC Executive Minister Eduardo Manalo, respectively.
The INC administration released a statement claiming that Eduardo had agreed to the expulsion of his brother and mother from the INC, as decided upon by its overall leadership. However, both Angel and Tenny claimed their lives were threatened by the Iglesia administration. Angel and Tenny had reportedly been illegally detained at the Iglesia's Central Office Complex in Tandang Sora, Quezon City, and that at least ten ministers of the Church were missing and alleged to have been abducted.
Former INC ministers Roel Rosal and Isaias Samson, Jr., claimed that the Sanggunián (the highest administrative council of the INC) had unlawfully abducted and detained ministers, along with members of the Manalo family, to cover up corruption surrounding the chief auditor, Glicerio "Jun" Santos, Jr. On July 24, 2015, the INC, represented by Glicerio B. Santos IV, head counsel and son of Santos, Jr., filed a libel complaint against Samson. Detained INC Evangelical Worker Lowell Menorca stated that he was forcibly detained by the INC administration, and was kidnapped at gunpoint by police officers in the employ of INC leaders and was forced to deny his captivity under duress. Menorca later fled to Canada and filed for refugee status, which was granted in 2018, with the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada stating: "When the panel considers the links between the INC and the law enforcement authorities in the Philippines, the general climate of impunity that pervades Philippines law enforcement, particularly with respect to the issue of extrajudicial killing, and the level of corruption that exists in the Philippines government and law enforcement apparatus, the panel is satisfied Menorca would be unable to avail himself of state protection, from the risks that he fears in that country..."
Overview
Angel and Tenny Manalo On July 22, 2015, a video was uploaded to YouTube featuring Felix Nathaniel "Angel" Manalo, the brother to nominal INC leader Eduardo V. Manalo and a former general manager of Global Expansion Media Television (a terrestrial TV station broadcasting the INC's programs, now called INCTV), along with his mother, Cristina "Tenny" Villanueva Manalo, the widow of Eraño G. Manalo. In the video, they claimed their lives had been threatened by the INC leadership, along with that of Angel's sister, Lolita "Lottie" Manalo Hemedez. Tenny Manalo also claimed that there had been a mass kidnapping of ministers who had not been accounted for, implying that their disappearance somehow traced to the INC leadership, and that she had not been able to speak to her son.
However, the INC denied the claims. Bienvenido Santiago, INC's chief evangelist, announced a few hours after the video's release that the church was expelling Tenny and Angel Manalo for allegedly causing divisions in the church and wanting to seize power. Santiago claimed that their video was a sympathy ploy to gather support to meddle in the leadership of the INC and that the INC administration was acting on the wishes of Eduardo V. Manalo to prevent discord in the Church. Edwil Zabala, a spokesman for the INC, stated that the INC would consider having Tenny and Angel Manalo return to the Church if they would pledge to uphold and obey their teachings. Lottie Hemedez and another sibling, Marco Eraño "Marc" Villanueva Manalo, were also expelled.
After the response from the INC, an unidentified individual was photographed holding a sign saying "Tulong, hostage kami" (Tagalog: Help, we're [held] hostage) in a building that is part of the INC Central Office in the Tandang Sora district in Quezon City, Metro Manila, northeast of the capital Manila. When contacted by reporters, INC spokesman Edwil Zabala referred them to a CD recording of Santiago's statement regarding the expulsions.
In a press briefing that same afternoon, Santiago confirmed the expulsions. Santiago said, "Painful as it is to our brother Eduardo Manalo, they have decided to expel those who have been causing division within the Church. That is why in future worship services of the Church of Christ, from this day, the Overall Leadership will let this be known by all of our brothers".
The Philippine National Police, through its Quezon City Police District (QCPD), sent its personnel to the INC compound on July 23. They were able to contact Angel in the evening, and Angel himself talked to the reporters around 1:00 PST, denying he was detained and saying that sign pleading for help was done by a child joking around. QCPD Joel Pagdilao said that the police is ruling out case of abduction and described the concerned persons inside as peaceful and free.
Angel Manalo also spoke to the reporters and criticised the Church's Sanggunian, denied that he is challenging the leadership of his brother, Eduardo Manalo. He also advised his brother Eduardo against trusting people within the Sanggunian he alleged to be corrupt. He also criticised the decision's to build the Philippine Arena (a large indoor arena in Bocaue, Bulacan, the world's largest) instead of more houses of worship. He lamented the situation, saying, "Why is it that these days, there are many anomalies? Others might say we're challenging our brother. No, we love our brother. But our problem is with people around him." He added "The doctrine of the Iglesia ni Cristo is now damaged. In the same way that you looked up to us before, now you can see there are many anomalies. There are many acts of corruption in the Church. That's what we want to avoid"
On December 15, 2015, church guards prevented Manalo and his housekeepers from allowing members of the media to enter their ancestral house at 35 Tandang Sora Avenue, following the inspection of the sheriff of the Quezon City RTC. The court inspection was requested by church officials in order to identify the occupants of property, following reports that unknown masked and hooded persons were going in and out of the compound, located beside the INC central office, as well as in response to several ex-Marines who tried to go inside the compound, led by renegade soldier Capt. Nicanor Faeldon, and who were only stopped by INC security. INC spokesman Zabala also claimed that the Tandang Sora property was owned by INC. Angel Manalo also protested the construction of the high fences in the compound. The next day, the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) branch 22 ordered the INC to restore the electricity supply of the compound, remove and dismantle the blocking fences, and remove the guardhouse and portable toilet that blocked the vehicle gate #3 of the Manalo's home.
The INC planned to file an ejectment case against Manalo and Hemedez if the siblings refused to leave their residence in Tandang Sora. On her part, Manalo-Hemedez said that she is the real owner of the 36 Tandang Sora Avenue compound, having been owned the property since 1983. She maintained that she and her household would not leave the compound.
Presidential aspirant Roy Señeres visited the compound in January 2016. Guards barred Señeres from entering and refused to let him provide the occupants with food and bottled water.
Ministers That same day, allegations from former and current INC ministers claimed that the Manalo family were hostages. Roel Rosal, a former Iglesia ni Cristo minister who stated that he and his wife were expelled from the church for trying to expose corruption, made a public statement that ten ministers along with the Manalos were under house arrest at the INC Central Office, at the behest of INC auditor general Glicerio B. "Jun" Santos, Jr. in order to prevent the revelation of financial corruption by Santos and his staff. Rosal claimed that Santos had pilfered and misused church offerings, and is holding the Manalos for "revenge." Supporters of Tenny and Angel Manalo gathered outside the compound demanding to know the whereabouts of the Manalos and missing ministers. GMA News reported that they saw an individual resembling Angel Manalo inside of the house, along with guards wielding long firearms.
At least ten ministers are reported to be missing according to expelled minister Roel Rosal. One of the reported ministers, Lowell Menorca II was reported to have been arrested by the Philippine National Police in Dasmariñas, Cavite, located south of Manila after two construction workers were allegedly threatened by Menorca with a grenade. Menorca's lawyer, Allen Blair Boy from the New Era University Legal Aid, questioned whether he was abducted and Boy said that Menorca told him that he was indeed arrested. It is not clear why he was in Dasmariñas, as Menorca was based in Sorsogon province in the southern part of the island of Luzon.
On July 29, 2015, Rosal reiterated his claims against the INC leadership. He also accused the Quezon City Police Department of taking sides in the conflict by supporting the INC administration, and denying Angel and Tenny Manalo deliveries of food and water. Rosal also claimed that the captives in the Manalo compound were running out of food and water.
In a press conference held July 23, INC minister Isaias Samson, Jr. cited Menorca's case alleging that the military had taken him from Sorsogon to Dasmariñas. He said that the missing ministers were held at Rosalia Compound and the headquarters of the Quezon City Police Department in Quezon City.
Arnel Tumanan, Joven Sepillo of Tacloban, and Nolan Olarte of Cebu are among the other reported missing ministers.
The INC, thru attorney Serafin Cuevas, Jr., filed libel charges against Samson and Joy Yuson, former administrative coordinator of Global Expansion Media TV, then the TV arm of INC, for accusing the church and its Sanggunian members of involvement in various anomalies and alleged abductions of ministers. preliminary investigations for the said case started on September 16, 2015, at the Quezon City RTC.
Menorca released a video on October 23, 2015, a few days after he was allegedly rescued from abduction by the Sanggunian and the filing of writ of habeas corpus by his brother Anthony and sister-in-law Junko Azuka. In the video, he supported the claim that he, together with his wife, children, and housekeeper, were abducted and illegally detained from July 25 to October 21 in the Central Compound by the Sanggunian. He further claimed that he and his family never asked to the Church to give them a house, or to be put into protective custody. The supposed rescue of the Menorca household was first supported by attorney Trixie Cruz-Angeles, the lawyer of the INC's expelled ministers, including Jun Samson.
During the alleged illegal detention they claimed to have been barred from leaving the premises and accepting guests. Cellphones and gadgets were also said to not be allowed in the premises. After the video was uploaded, the Menorcas were expelled by the INC. The expulsion papers were signed by minister Radel Cortez.
Isaias Samson, Jr.