History of unity on voting in the Iglesia ni Cristo

(UPDATED SEP. 14,2015) Jealous and ignorant nonmembers who doesnt know more about the doctrine in the INC concerning voting in unity, make attacks to the church every now and then, in the time of the 1st ever election in the Philippines until now.

That is why i make posts like this to show them the truth and for them not to easily be convinced on what the media is saying about it. Nonmembers say that unity on voting in the church was just a recent addition on the doctrines in the Iglesia ni Cristo, that is why im showing you the history on voting in the church.


List of Philippine Presidents:

1st- Emilio Aguinaldo
2nd- Manuel L. Quezon
3rd- Jose P. Laurel
4th- Sergio Osmena
5th- Manuel Roxas
6th- Elpidio Quirino
7th- Ramon Magsaysay
8th- Carlos P. Garcia
9th- Diosdado Macapagal
10th- Ferdinand E. Marcos
11th- Corazon C. Aquino
12th- Fidel V. Ramos
13th- Joseph Ejercito-Estrada
14th- Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
15th- Benigno C. Aquino III

The 1st election happened was in the time of the Commonwealth Era, and the 1st elected President was Manuel L. Quezon.


Very, very old attacks to the Iglesia ni Cristo regarding block voting:

1. Block voting doctrine is just an invention of the Manalo's.
2. It is nowhere to find in the scriptures.
3. INC votes those candidates who likely to win the election based on surveys.


Result of my research:

I will answer No.1 and 2, There is no "block voting doctrine" in the INC, what the INC have is the "unity" doctrine and unity in voting is just one of the many. It has biblical support, and it was tackled here in my post.

On no.3, this is proven to be false, the church doesnt just pick "political candidates" that seen to win the election. I will show you the history of unity on voting in the Iglesia ni Cristo, but before that, I found out that the church practiced voting in unity in the first ever election happened in the Philippines!

List of Presidents	Voted by the INC or not	If not, who voted by the INC
Manuel L. Quezon	YES
Jose P. Laurel	NO	Jose Avelino
Sergio Osmena	NO	Manuel Roxas
Manuel Roxas	YES
Elpidio Quirino	NO	Jose Avelino
Ramon Magsaysay	YES
Carlos P. Garcia	YES
Diosdado Macapagal	NO	Carlos Garcia
Ferdinand E. Marcos	YES
Corazon C. Aquino	NO	Ferdinand Marcos
Fidel V. Ramos	NO	Eduardo Cojuangco Jr.
Joseph Ejercito-Estrada	YES
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo	YES
Benigno C. Aquino III	YES

This is the evidence that the INC does not vote "political candidates" just because they are leading in the surveys, because if that will be the case then ALL, yes, ALL those supported by the INC have WON. Check the web, and not only on presidential elections it happened, but also on senatorial, local and etc.

It is also not true that the INC failed, as there are political candidates whom supported by the INC in past elections that lost. It is not the objective of the INC to support candidates for them TO WIN, but to perform unity in the church, that is why the INC SUCCEED whether the candidates WIN or LOSE, it doesnt matter, what matter is the unity in the brotherhood in the church.


How does the Church Administration choose candidates?

I dont know their "standards" on choosing candidates but i know one thing, the church do not choose candidates who will hurdle, persecute or do against the church. Maybe its like what they say "INC support candidates who will also support them", but in the positive way.

As a voter for example, would you vote for a candidate whose aims are different from what you like? (Example, you dont want divorce in the Philippines, would you vote for a candidate that wants to pass law for divorce?)

The Catholic Church discouraged its members last election to vote those candidates who are in favor in the RH BILL, and it is also what i am talking in our part, why would the INC support candidates who are against the church and will persecute the church???


Issues on some former presidents...

On Elpidio Quirino, some know about the issue, but in case you do not know, ill tell you. Bro. Felix Manalo did not go for Elpidio Quirino because he already gave word to Avelino and he said that it is Avelino's turn, it is in that time that Quirino supporters even offer money to Bro. Felix for him to support Quirino. INC members experienced persecution from Quirino supporters, some are beaten up and killed just because they did not vote for Quirino.

Is the reason not enough for Bro. Felix not to support Quirino?

But Bro. Felix said in a newspaper that he is not against with Quirino as an individual, he was even supported by the INC as a vice president with Manuel Roxas as president in 1946 election.


On Diosdado Macapagal, he refused the support of INC in 1965 election and then lost to Ferdinand Marcos.


On Ferdinand Marcos, the INC supported him in 1986 election on the time of People Power I. When i read about this, i also wonder like nonmembers, i asked to myself, why the INC go for Marcos instead of Cory? But when i realized some things, i came to understand.

Marcos' government was close to the INC, meaning to say, Marcos did not do anything against the INC and so on, so the INC gives back that kind of thing by means of support to Marcos. Marcos valued the INC very much, in fact, it frequently come to celebrate with the church whenever there is celebration like birthday of Bro. Erano Manalo, church's anniversary and so on, which is appreciated very much by the church. Meaning, the INC was really a friend of Marcos and Marcos was a friend of the INC, they help each other.

On the inauguration of Brgy. Maligaya bridge:

"The bridge was symbolic of President Marcos' laudable infrastructure program. It also symbolized the long-standing friendship between the president and church. 'His coming today', Bro. Erano said, 'is actually the third time.'..." "...He is therefore not new to the place, he being a friend of the church."

Marcos said: "As long as I am the head of the state, I will see to it that the friendship between the government and the Iglesia ni Cristo be preserved within the confines of the Constitution and the laws."

Pasugo Issue August 1978

But even though Marcos and the church are friends it doesnt mean there is no separation of state and church, in fact, it also been tackled in the speech of Bro. Erano Manalo in the inauguration of the Maligaya bridge in 1978. It is also should be noted that even the two had friendship, it doesnt mean that the INC will always support Marcos in good or bad things he is doing. That is why in 1975, the INC members already made protest against Martial Law even before People Power I came:

"Feb. 14, 1975: Protest march of 50,000 Iglesia ni Cristo brethren against martial law human rights abuses." source: Pasugo issue September 2009

But when People Power I came, it will be a betrayal if the INC will go for Cory and will support People Power I. As what stated in the speech of Marcos, in the same event, in the inauguration of Maligaya Bridge:

"President Marcos, in his speech, also said that although the church and state are separate, they should not fight one another even if their policies are different. He said, however, that in the Philippines, some members of a religious sect are advocating the overthrow of the government. He further stressed that if these people represent the true religion, they should not advocate bloody revolution in order to seize power." Editorial, Pasugo Issue August 1978

I dont think the INC should have been to People Power I in 1986, because it had already made a protest in 1975, 10 years after the revolution happened.


On Gloria Arroyo, she was supported by the INC when she ran for senator, vice president, president and now as congresswoman. (source: mb.com) But that doesnt mean that INC will support Arroyo in everything, because the INC is not bias. That's why on the known Edsa III:

"The rebellion aimed to remove Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from the presidency and to reinstate Estrada." source: wikipedia

INC members participated (not commanded by the church, but given permission for those who wanted to participate), because what they have done in Edsa II was forced Estrada to leave the presidency without the law process which is unconstitutional, that is why the Edsa II was condemned worldwide and not the Edsa III.

In 2004 elections, it is true that the INC wanted to support Fernando Poe Jr. and Panfilo Lacson as president and vice president but its too late for them to be united, Gloria Arroyo then asked support from the INC, the INC has no choice but to give the support to Arroyo.