POLITICAL FICTION.

By Philip M. Lustre Jr.

ONE of the most perpetuated and well-preserved political fiction for many decades is the purported strength of the Iglesia Ni Cristo. Because they vote like a bunch of docile sheep, political commentators, particularly media people, describe it as "strong," "powerful," and "game changer." This is not exactly true.

Allow me to comment on this political fiction:

1. The INC support is good for 1.5 million votes.Exit polls of a reputed polling firm has established this figure. These votes hardly determine the winners particularly in national elections (president, vice president, and senators). But they could provide the swing votes. Hence, they could influence the outcome of closely contested senatorial elections, particularly those candidates in the 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th positions

2. An INC support does not mean automatic political victory for the candidate. An INC supported candidates also lose. My personal interviews with certain political guys have yielded disturbing facts. Members of rival religious organizations like Ang Dating Daan, JIL, Christian Evangelicals tend to vote for the opponents of INC-backed candidates. In brief, they cancel each other out.

3. Many INC-backed candidates lost. Examples are Danding Cojuangco in 1992, and BBM in 2016.

4. There is no known set of criteria to gain INC support. There are no consultations between leaders and members. INC leaders merely give the list of candidates to be supported by INC members. It is often said that an INC member has to abdicate his right to think every election day. He merely follows what his leaders tell him. Candidates negotiate with INC leaders to gain their support.There are reports that certain INC members don't follow the list. There are also reports of trade-offs.

5. Because of the absence of any consultation process or set of criteria for INC support, it's always open-ended with the INC.Known plunderers and murderers could get INC support. But the INC has gained a reputation for opportunism. The quid pro quo for INC political support is usually the appointments to key government posts of INC members.

BALUKTOT NA INTERPRETASYON

Ni Philip M. Lustre Jr.

(Pambungad na salita: Hindi ako magaling sa Bibliya. Mas lalong hindi ako nagmamagaling. Tulad ng ibang Cristiano, hinanap ko ang kasagutan sa ilang katanungan at agam-agam sa aking damdamin. Tama ba na suportahan ng isang Cristiano ang giyera kontra ilegal na droga at ang mga walang katapusang patayan ng mga pinaghinaaalang adik at tagatulak ng droga? Hinanap ko ang sagot. Isa si Pastor Richard Benitez ang nagbigay ng kasagutan na ikatutuwa ng aking puso at damdamin. Pakibasa na lang.)

HINDI ako komportable sa pagsuporta ng ilang alagad ng Simbahang Catolico at pastor ng mga grupong Cristiano sa maramihang pagpaslang ng mga adik at pinaghinalaang tagatulak ng ilegal na droga Hindi ako makapaniwala sa kanilang paninindigan na sumusuporta sa bigong digmaan kontra droga ng gobyernong Duterte.

Magkasalungat ang mga aral ng Simbahang Catolico at mga grupong Cristiano sa bigong giyera kontra droga. Itinuturo ng Simbahang Katoliko at grupong Cristiano ang pagmamahal sa kapwa at pagbibigay suporta at tulong sa mga kapus-palad. Hhindi tugma ang mga aral at doktrina sa malawakang pagpatay sa mga pinaghihinalaang adik at tagatulak ng droga. Hindi magkatugma ang mahalin ang kapwa habang may pinupuksa ang mga tao na ang tanging batayan ay pinaghihinalaang silang sangkot sa ilegal na droga. Hindi ako pumapayag na patayin na mistulang mga manok at baboy batay lamang sa hinala.

Tinanong ko si Richard Benitez, isang pastor ng Gospel of Grace Baptist Church tungkol sa paninindigan ng mga konserbatibong alagad ng Simbahan at grupong Cristiano sa giyera kontra droga. Tahasan niyang sinabi na umuugat ang suliranin sa baluktot ng interpretasyon ng Bibliya. Nababatay sa Bibliya ang maraming aral ng mga grupong Kristiyano. Ito ang dahilan kaya tinagurian silang Christian fundamentalist.

Ayon kay Pastor Richard, umuugat ng isyu sa Romans 13:1-7 na may talata tungkol sa katapatan ng mga nasasakupan at mga umuugit ng pamahalaan. Ito ang sabi ng Bibliya:

13 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Mukhang literal ang unawa ng mga ilang Catolico at Cristiano sa mga nabanggit ng berso ng Bbliya, ani Pastor Richard. May konteksto itong mga berso ng Bibliya, aniya. Hindi ito maaaring lubos-lubusang tanggapin at sundin ng sinumang Catolico at Cristiano. Hindi ito nangangahulugan na pagsunod sa mga lider ng isang pamahalaan na mapang-api at abusado. Hindi ito berso para sundin ang mga gobyerno na kumikitil sa mismong mga mamamayan.

Ipinaliwanag ni Pastor Richard na ang awtoridad ay hindi ang mga Romano kundi ang mga taong simbahan (o sinagoga) na pinagkanlungan ng mga naunang Cristiano at Hudyo. Sang-ayon sa pastor, iminungkahi ni Pablo, ang alagad n Hesukristo na sumulat ng berso, na sumunod sa batas ng Hudyo ang mga naunang Cristiano at Hudyo kahit na nasa Roma sila. Magkaiba ang batas ng Hudyo at batas ng mga Romano. Itinuturing ang batas ng Husyo na mas mataas sapagkat kinilala ito bilang batas na mula sa langit at sugo ng Dios ang mga alagad ng simbahan at sinagoga.

Isa itong bagay na hindi nauunawan ng mga alagad ng Simbahang Catolico at mga pastor ng iba’t-ibang Christian ministry. Ang buong akala nila nila ay marapat sumang-ayon sa isang gobyernong mapaniil. Ginawa pa nilang basehan ang mga talata sa pikit-matang pagsunod sa gobyerno ni Rodrigo Duterte at pagsang-ayon at suporta sa walang habas na patayan sa ilalim ng bigong giyera kontra droga.

Para kay Pastor Richard Benitez, walang basehan sa Bibliya ang pagsuporta sa giyera kontra ilegal na droga. Marapat lamang itakwil at kondenahin ang bigong giyera na nagduot lamang ng kasawian sa maraming magulang, kaanak, at kaibigan ng mga biktima.

Ayon kay Cesar Evangelista Buendia, isang kaibigan at kapwa netizen: “Show me a Christian, who in spite of knowing Duterte is a killer, still supports him and I’ll show you a fake Christian.” 

INDUSTRIAL PEACE?

By Philip M. Lustre Jr.

CAN the private firm’s preference for members of a particular religious sect be considered a form of discrimination in its employment of workers?

Yes, I raised this question in a media forum, where newsmakers and other news sources explain their sides on nagging issues confronting the nation.

Although I did not mention the religious sect, it was obvious I was referring to the Iglesia ni Cristo, the members of which are usually the preferred employees of several firms, notable of which is the SM chain of malls nationwide.

My question perked up Daniel Edralin, a prominent labor leader in the hotel industry, who acknowledged that the SM’s chain of malls has provided INC members with regular employment and income.

Edralin did not directly answer my question but he took pains to lay down the premises, as he dispassionately explained the circumstances for SM’s perceptible preference of INC members to comprise the main bulk of its workforce.

According to him, SM keeps on employing INC members because of their docile, uncomplaining attitude towards top management and terms of their employment. Influenced by their leaders, INC members believe it is against their religious doctrines to complain against their employers and even the terms of their employment.

This is a reason contractualization continues to thrive in private firms like SM, Edralin said, as he stressed the prevalence there of “endo,” or “end of contract,” where employees, although they do core functions, are contractual workers, whose employment is good for only five months.

Edralin said SM hires those INC members mainly for pragmatic purposes. This is to prevent SM workers to form unions or groups that would oppose contractualization, or the “endo system.”

Under the Labor Code, workers in a particular firm are required to hold elections through secret balloting to determine whether or not they want to form a labor union. It requires a simple majority, or 50 percent plus one of all cast votes to create a labor union, Edralin said.

Knowing that INC members would not vote to join labor unions because it is against their religious doctrines, SM has indeed taken a preference for SM members in the recruitment of its working staff, Edralin said.

It could be viewed as a form of discrimination, but the problem is that no particular workers have come out in the open to lodge a protest against SM before any legitimate forum, Edralin said.

In so many words, Edralin confirmed that such preference could be a form of discrimination, although he did not categorically said it was indeed illegal. In the absence of any jurisprudence on the issue, the conclusion of its illegality could not be drawn.

I am not particular about provision of the Labor Code particularly on the provisions that speak of constitutes discrimination in employment. 😳😳😳