Ang Dating Daan ready to boycott GMA, leads signature campaign for Justice Puno

Manila, Philippines (6/18/09) – Mass messages had been going around the membership of the Ang Dating Daan (ADD), officially called Members Church of God International (MCGI) calling for the boycott of GMA, one of the greater TV stations in the country.

The text suggested boycotting GMA and all its programs, with the information that the Presiding Minister, Bro. Eliseo Soriano is a topic in Case Unclosed, and the resource person is Daniel Veridiano, alias Puto, a former member of MCGI.

Case Unclosed is a program aired every Thursday evenings by GMA Network and is currently hosted by Arnold Clavio.

Before some 70,000 members gathered on a recent Saturday thanksgiving at the ADD Convention Center in Apalit, Pampanga, north of Manila, and another set of thousands of members scattered throughout the globe in six continents, Bro. Eli Soriano told the congregation to prepare themselves for what may happen when GMA releases another report that is not totally representative of truth.

Records show that Daniel Veridiano was excommunicated in August 2005 by Preacher Soriano upon the recommendation of an investigating panel for various offenses unacceptable to the doctrines of the Church. In his bid to be forgiven, Veridiano wrote a confession letter admitting having raped only nine of his subordinates, but 14 were complaining. When asked to explain the difference, he said he could not remember anymore.

Because of the gravity of his offenses, including widespread misappropriation of funds of the Church, Veridiano failed to be acceptable to the ADD.  He then joined the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), an arch enemy of Bro. Eli Soriano. Now in the grace of the Iglesia ni Cristo, he filed two cases of rape against his benefactor some four to five years after these offenses were allegedly committed.

The case was dismissed by the Regional Court of San Fernando, Pampanga but was re-filed by Raul Gonzalez, who until this week was Secretary of Justice. Worse, Bro. Soriano was placed on the watchlist of the International Criminal Police Organization or Interpol for “sex crimes,” an offense he was never accused of in any court.

Soriano accused the Iglesia ni Cristo as being behind all these harassments in a desperate bid to blemish his reputation. The INC practices bloc voting wherein every member must vote for the choice of their leader. This explains why politicians would never try to displease the INC leadership. During election time, all roads lead to their doors and every candidate endorsed would feel elated.

It is public knowledge that whenever the Evangelist Soriano is asked questions concerning Christ in his biblical expositions, the discussion always leads to the Iglesia ni Cristo that believes that Christ is a man, always a man, and will remain a man. This would lead to classifying the INC as a false religion, a matter that gets the goat of every INC minister. Soriano is the most vocal critic of the Iglesia ni Cristo.

What had always been a proud, powerful religion that could make and unmake kings, only Soriano is able to tell to its face, “Face the truth; you are fake; you are not what you profess to be!” The preacher has a program, “Ask Soriano” that makes him the most queried man on earth. Referred to as the only sensible preacher in our time, Soriano is considered the nemesis of all false preachers.

In revealing this news, Soriano instructed his men to watch closely the members – especially the former members of the Iglesia ni Cristo – never to take revenge on their hands. “Leave it to God,” he would say. “Just continue doing good.”

With Clavio’s impending presentation of Case Unclosed without any input from the ADD Presiding Minister himself, or the physical presence of his attorneys, the congregation has already guessed it will just be another biased Iglesia ni Cristo – inspired item. Bro. Soriano went on exile in 2005 when he could no longer seek justice in the country.

Incidentally, the Ang Dating Daan would opt for an intelligent and morally upright man to lead the Philippines. Claiming they are tired of crooks and untrustworthy people easily twisted by outside influence, the best choice according to Bro. Eli is Reynato S. Puno, the incumbent Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. Puno is eligible to run for elections should he retire earlier. However, Puno denied speculations that he will retire from the position of Chief Justice before May 17, 2010. Some quarters, however, claim that Puno never said yes, neither no.

Records show that as early as 2008, people were already asking Chief Justice Puno if he would consider running for president. Evidently, the question came up after the CJ’s deciding the corruption case against the Court of Appeals justices.  In an interview with media men, for example,  Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn banked for CJ Puno as someone credible enough with track record in the judiciary to be president.

The Chief Justice is said to accommodate invitations from Christian groups not just because of his commitment to uphold justice but to “share the word about salvation.”

The ADD signature campaign for CJ Puno for president is very much active in Mindanao. According to Bro. Eli, justice in the Philippines is so much wanting that every judge who wants to get promoted would readily prosecute him.

NOTE: This was written hours just before the Case Unclosed was shown.