Church and State 3, Iglesia ni Cristo is NOT above the law

But the leaders and members of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) think they are above the law, that the law against road occupation, especially Edsa, may apply to other groups but not to them.

Rule of law vs. welfarism. Many INC members who went to Edsa were recipients of various welfare programs and now lambast the government. One more proof that when government is lousy in enforcing the rule of law, it can be lousy and wasteful in its populism and welfarism.

I was one of their millions of Edsa traffic victims. Last night, Sunday, my bus from Pangasinan arrived at Cubao terminal around 12 midnight. Immediately I sensed a problem. Very few metro buses going south, the taxis were haggling for higher price, few “ordinary” cars but there were many provincial jeepneys and buses plying Gapan-Cabanatuan, Lubao-Angeles, Dagupan-La Union, etc. And there were many vans too that appeared to be full of people.

I sensed that they were Iglesia members wanting to further choke usually traffic-choke Edsa. After waiting for about 25 minutes, I was able to ride a south-bound bus. There were many people walking in Cubao going south. At Camp Crame, I saw many parked provincial jeepneys, buses and vans. Our bus was crawling. I saw many New Era University buses (Iglesia-owned) carrying many passengers. I think those were among the hakot buses.

There were also many vehicles, provincial jeepneys and buses, parked on the other side, north-bound, of Edsa. At Ortigas flyover, south-bound traffic has finally halted, past 1am already, Our bus went to C5, we managed to evade the Iglesia mob rule at Edsa-Crossing. We exited at Edsa Buendia. Magaling, si Sec. de Lima kaaway nyo, dinamay nyo milyon pa na ibang Pilipino. I arrived home past 2am.

Last Saturday midnight, around 2:30am, I travelled to Cubao to go to a provincial bus terminal in Cubao. Edsa-Crossing was closed, blocked by MMDA vehicles and officers. I think there were very few Iglesia rallyists at Edsa-crossing. Is MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino an Iglesia member too? His boys are busy apprehending and penalizing many motorists in Edsa for "obstruction of traffic" and other traffic violations. But these Iglesia militants blocking a big portion of Edsa are allowed and guarded by his boys.

Mob rule can beat rule of law anytime when governments are too busy with so many functions, state-owned businesses and welfarist/populist functions. Penalizing motorists even for minor traffic "violation" (and they created lots of prohibitions and restrictions; more prohibitions, more potential violators, more fines and extortion) that transform traffic officers into tax and fine collectors, good business. When real traffic violators like a mob occupying a very busy road come in, those "public servants" chicken out.

The Iglesia leaders and their followers always think they are above the law. They can demand money from local to national candidates every 3 years election period in exchange for political support via bloc voting of their members. They hate that their leaders can be subjected to DOJ criminal investigation involving illegal detention of their former "kapatid" whom they have later expelled.

The big issue is the inability of the government, both national and local (PNP, MMDA, City governments) to enforce the rule of law -- the law against road occupation by any groups and penalizing violators. If you are a big church group or cult like Iglesia, you can get away with the law with zero penalty.

Some leading Presidential candidates even blatantly and shamelessly support the mob rulers, so long as they can support him/her in the elections next year with their known bloc (and mindless?) voting.

If the government, local and national, allows exemptions to the restrictions of the law (the law applies strictly to some but not to others), then that is rule of men. The rulers make arbitrary exemptions and applications of the law.

Binay and Grace Poe are losers for siding with the Iglesia cultist-we're-abobe-the-law militants. Where is Chiz Escudero, partner of Grace Poe? http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/.../inquirer-net-poll-who...

And Carlos Celdran, why he did not lambast the "Damaso" of Iglesia? Maybe he's scared of this church's mob while he was confident that the Catholic church won't harm him.

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See also: 
Pilipinas Forum 17: The Church and Galileo, November 7, 2011

Church and State, The Iglesia Medical Mission, October 18, 2013 

Church and State 2, Iglesia rally in Edsa, August 29, 2015

Election PH 16, The Presidentiables and the Iglesia militants

Members of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) who are militant and shameless enough to create more traffic  in Edsa -- yes, they gloat, they brag that they have created more traffic in the busiest road in  the whole country -- in pursuit of their political opposition to DOJ Secretary Leila de  Lima, are still there.

This church group is known for their bloc voting during elections. From Municipal and City Mayors and Vice Mayors, Councilors, to Provincial Governors and Vice Governors, Board members, to Congressmen and Senators, and to President and Vice President. There is big money involved of course, although Iglesia leaders will deny it.

That is just one example of their political and electoral meddling in the country. Now they demand a "separation of church and state."

The leading contenders for President in the 2016 elections are treading carefully, if not favorably, of the INC.

What a shame, Sen. Grace Poe. I was leaning to support you, but with this statement, goodbye na tayo. These Iglesia militants in Edsa are defending their insecurity and hypocrisy, not their faith. If they defend their faith, they should be in their churches, or other public places, NOT in already traffic-choked Edsa.

VP Binay is known for political opportunism. His statement is expected, not surprising. Pag may dugo, sisipsip talaga ang linta.

Sec. Mar Roxas, good statement here. I hope you will order the PNP to clear EDSA of these militants. Iglesia members will hate you if you do that, but you will gain more votes from the non-Iglesia.

The President has spoken, rightly. Thank you Mr. President.

Mandaluyong city Mayor Ben Hur Abalos and councilors are also scared of the Iglesia militants. The city government gave a permit after the militants have already created horrible traffic in Edsa since last night.

And MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino, you and your boys are too eager to apprehend and penalize many motorists everyday for "obstruction of traffic" or other "traffic  violations" in Edsa. The Iglesia militants are obviously creating heavy traffic and you allowed them. Scared also of the Iglesia that they might reject your Senatorial ambition next year.

Any serious politician who will challenge this Iglesia bullying and risk being rejected by their bloc voting deserves support. We are not talking about shrinking government here. We are simply talking about government being able to enforce the rule of law. The law applies to all, it applies equally to unequal people. If all other groups are prohibited -- and they should be prohibited -- from occupying Edsa, then that law should apply to the Iglesia militants too. In this case, the Iglesia guys are exempted. Mob rule beats the rule of law.
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See also:

Election 12, JV Bautista and Toilet Politics, June 05, 2015 

Election 13, Bernard Ong's Analysis, June 21, 2015 

Election 14, The Middle Earth of PH Politics, by Doy Romero, June 24, 2015 

Election PH 15, Who's the least welfarist?, August 07, 2015 

Church and State 2, Iglesia rally in Edsa, August 29, 2015

Thailand Politics and the Monarchy, Part 3

A friend, Dr. Amado "Bong" Mendoza, Prof. of UP Political Science, wrote a brief but good analysis of the Thai political crisis. He gave me permission to post it here; photo from his fb wall. My comments below his article.
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Oh, Thailand

Dr. Bong Mendoza

February 01, 2014

While we had delightful face-offs in Manila's Chinatown, there are dangerous ones going on in Bangkok.

Thais cast their ballots in polling stations today hopefully to form a new government after Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra dissolved parliament in the face of vociferous opposition last year.

The cause celebre?

Yingluck's parliamentary majority rammed through an amnesty bill that, among others, would allow Yingluck's older brother, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to go home from exile in Dubai.

The proverbial straw that breaks a camel's behind!

Elections in democracies are supposed to settle rivalries between political factions; that is, decide which camp will lead a nation. However, these elections may not be able to accomplish that due to several complications.

The opposition's strategic objective: the ouster of the "Thaksin regime"

Opposition tactics: blocking of major Bangkok intersections; occupation and paralysis of government ministry buildings; calls for Yingluck's resignation; calls for take-over by a reform council before elections are held; election boycott; blocking of candidate registration--all resulting in failure of elections and failure to constitute parliament and a government.

This latest crisis is part of the continuing struggle roughly between pro-Thaksin and anti-Thaksin forces. Said contest started in 2006 when then prime minister Thaksin was ousted by a royally-endorsed coup. A few decidedly inept military men (including one, General Samak, who cannot decide what his job was: general, prime minister, or television cooking show host?) were at the helm until a civilian politician from the Democrat Party took over.

Thaksin fled the country in 2008 to avoid cases filed against him in court.

However, he retains strong support and loyal Red-shirts clashed with pro-government Yellow-shirts in 2010.

In 2011, the rival political factions arrived at a modus vivendi upon the election of the Pheu Thai government led by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Eventually, the peace was roiled by the railroaded amnesty bill.

Thus in Thailand, we have minorities who try to impose their wills. We have majorities abusing their numbers. King Bhumibol, who had influentially shaped the course of Thai politics for several decades, is old and sickly. The military top brass can mount another coup. Question is how long can the generals man the household before the civilians assume power once more.

The eventual death of Bhumibol will be a game changer. His heir apparent is a wastrel. The Crown Princess is respected but she has to hurdle the gender bias before she could be named head of state and monarch of Thailand.

Bhumibol is also a very tough act to follow. The 1932 Revolution may have ended absolute monarchy in Thailand. In the early years of his reign, during the government of a military dictator, Bhumibol may have had little power and was no more than a ceremonial figure. However, military rivals for leadership begun to seek his blessings.

The English academic Duncan McCargo have noted the active political involvement of Bhumibol through a "network monarchy" working through the Privy Council. The network's political cachet was supposedly threatened by the rise of Thaksin. The network's capacity to exercise power is based partly on Bhumibol's popularity and strict control of his image.

Bhumibol's power is largely based on mystique. He is reputed to do things. We will never know how these are done since he works behind the scenes.

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The Thaksin camp has its set of sins and corruption, so does the anti-Thaksin camps, from the monarchy to the traditional Bangkok-based political elites. The problem of the anti-Thaksin camps is they can NOT win any election. Since 2006 ouster of Thaksin, all four elections including the last 2011 elections were won by the Thaksin camp. That is why the opposition including the Democratic Party, campaigned for mob rule, bring down the Yingluck Shinawatra government without elections, and their unelected "People's Council" will rule for two years without election. 

Mob rule, no respect for the rule of law, the Thai constitution. The problem with mob rule policy is that assuming they succeed in bringing down the Yingluck government without election, the next months, if the Thaksin camp can also mobilize millions of supporters, there will be another round of paralyzing rallies and change of government. Mob rule is ugly and not advisable.

On the monarchy. Its "holiness" should be damaged by now among many rural residents who are mostly pro-Thaksin. The monarchy and Thaksin are both populists, giving away various subsidies and freebies to buy political support, bloating the Thai public debt. But it seems that Thaksin was the better populist than the monarchy, his family and business cronies.

Not that I am pro-Thaksin and his corruption and populism. I am for the rule of law, in Thailand and elsewhere. If a government is corrupt, then bring it down and change it via constitutional processes like elections or impeachment or similar schemes. Mob rule is rule of men and the opposite of rule of law.

The snap election was held yesterday. Here is one news story, it is ugly. Preventing other people to vote, and still call themselves as democrats, people's representatives? They are mini-dictators who are not in power yet, and they want to be in power sooo bad.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/79951/thai-protesters-block-voting-in-chaotic-election

BANGKOK - Opposition protesters prevented voting at thousands of polling stations in Thailand on Sunday, triggering angry scenes in the capital over an election that plunged the strife-racked kingdom into political limbo.

Despite weeks of mass street demonstrations aimed at forcing her from office, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was widely expected to extend her billionaire family's decade-long winning streak at the ballot box.

But the disruption to voting means that the results are not expected for weeks at least, and there will not be enough MPs to convene parliament and appoint a government until new elections are held in the problem areas….

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See also: 
Thailand politics and the anti-globalists, November 20, 2008 
Thai politics and the Monarchy, December 04, 2008 
Killings in Thailand and Military Crackdown, April 16, 2009 
Rule of Law 4: On Thailand Crackdown, April 18, 2009 

Thailand Politics and the Monarchy, Part 2, January 14, 2014