Whatever happened to decency and holiness in the INC? And why should we care?

There is no question that a lot is happening in the INC, the largest indigenous religous group in the Philippines. There have been talks of corruption and human rights violations. There is social media talk on both sides casting aspersions upon the other parties. There are large legal cases still in session regarding accusations, again from both sides.

One has to wonder just what is really going on here?

The INC says that there are people trying to cause division in their group. They have filed charges against some of these people and expelled many of them.

On the other hand, many members and ex-members of the INC have accused the INC leadership of massive corruption and human rights violations, including interrogations and illegal detention.

It is, perhaps, simple to say that there is one side that is correct and one side that is not. However, as in most debates, there may be some truth to both arguments.

Now, how should we as people outside the walls of the INC interpret all of this?

First of all, once the question has been raised as to possible human rights violations, this is no longer an internal squabble as the INC would like for all of us to think. We, as citizens of the Philippines and the world, have a right and an obligation to ensure that all our fellows are accorded their basic human rights. Since there have been accusations of human rights violations raised, this "squabble" rightly deserves our attention.

This is not to say that all of these accusations are necessarily true, but they certainly deserve their day in court and should be investigated and handled in accordance with the law.

The fact that the INC leadership has, so far, not even shown up on their appointed court dates does not speak well to their innocence of the levied charges. If one is innocent, one has the right to prove it. By not showing up, they are basically saying that they don't respect the law and the justice system of the land.

It is puzzling to this writer why the court system has not punished the leadership of the INC for this behavior. In other countries this could be considered contempt of court. At the very least, fines could be imposed for this disrepectful behavior.

It is certainly not within this writer's expertise or knowledge to say which side is correct in this legal battle, but the behavior of the INC leadership reminds one of dictators who think they are above the law.

Is this the image that the INC wants for itself? That they have so much power and influence that they are, in fact, above the law?

If they are innocent of all the charges being brought against them, why don't they at least respect the court enough to show up and defend themselves? One has to wonder what they are afraid of.

There has also been some rumors of tax evasion brought up in the USA and to the IRS in particular. Again, this is not proof of wrong-doing, but innocence cannot be assumed without investigation once a serious charge of this nature has been brought forth.

This writer, for one, looks forward to the truth behind these dramatic events as they unfold.

Until then, other writers like minister J Sanpedro, who very forcefully bash any and all people who have the bravery to speak up about the INC, should really take a look at themselves and ask if what they are doing helps the INC image.

My feeling is that the INC is destroying itself. By acting as if they are above the law, by sinking from their supposedly God-given status to the depths of extreme name-calling, summary judgement of anyone not "one with EVM" and acting as if they are above the law, they look to this writer to be anything BUT the "one true church."

Why should we care about any of this beyond the fact that the drama is of soap opera level?

We need to care about the ongoing INC issues because the group does manifest itself politically and thus has control over things that matter. The INC cries out for separation of church and state, while at the same time they continue to bloc vote. And who cares about their bloc voting? They only have about 2% of the voting population, assuming they can actually fully control their members' voting practices. However, the fact is that politicians and others feel that the INC can help their chances of success and because of this they are willing to barter for the INC vote. This leads to the INC being able to pull strings in so many different arenas (no pun intended) that they have an unfair advantage in the public sector over any of their competitors, whether it be zoning policies, property acquisition, special privileges, and even customs, immigration and the legal system.

Should the public care if the INC has such wide-ranging influence and shadowy power? One could consider the ultimate expressions of this sort of power given to one group, run by one person, in this case their beloved EVM. What happens when people turn a blind eye to this sort of thing? Nazi Germany and North Korea are examples that one hates to think of but should serve as precautionary tales.

Currently, our legal system is in the middle of sorting through all the allegations brought on by ex-members of the INC, but lets remind them that it is their duty to uphold the values of this country and to protect all of its citizens. Having more money, power and lawyers should not give the INC leadership special privileges. They should be held accountable for their actions. Not showing up when they are required to be in court is contemptible and should be punished as such.

Thank you for your attention.