The Manalo’s have learned their lessons during the past nine decades the hard way. In the early history of politics in the Philippines, when the Republic was still young, and when politicians needed the support of as many groups as possible, Manalo claiming to have 4 million members, was the object of attention among those who were seeking for elective office, specifically during the elections in 1949. Then Senate President Jose Avelino, was the choice of Felix Manalo against then incumbent President Elpidio Quirino and former President Jose P. Laurel, whose presidencies did not please Manalo. Apparently, the Iglesia ni Cristo ni Manalo was not enjoying the support of the incumbent administration.
In an interview with the Philippine Free Press, Manalo firmly expressed his support for the rival of the former and incumbent Presidents respectively, even using censorable language against then President Quirino. But what was perceived to be a winning choice from an “alleged angel” from the Far East did not become a reality. Jose Avelino lost and Quirino won the presidency! Quirino got 1,803,808 votes while Avelino got only 419,890 votes with the INCM solid votes, from members (according to their claim) numbering to 4 million, when the entire Philippine population was only about 19,674,000.
Claiming to have 5 million members as early as 1966, (in their Pasugo, July 1966, p. 6, cited above) the choice of Manalo for the presidency lost in the May 11, 1992 elections. President Fidel V. Ramos won with 5,342,521 votes and Cojuangco, whom Manalo had chosen, got only 4,116,000 votes, inclusive of the votes of Catholics, Protestants and Cojuangco’s men in his vast business empire.
After the 1992 elections they have learned their lessons! Never again did they endorse a candidate months before the election. They would wait for the results of reliable surveys and three or two days before the elections, they would endorse the candidate who appears to be number one in the survey, to make it appear that, if the candidate wins, it was they who made him won.
Time and again, it was proven by facts and figures, that the claims of the Iglesia ni Cristo ni Manalo about the number of their members are lies!
President Noynoy Aquino (whom they endorsed less than a week before the election and is number one in the pre-election survey) won against his closest rival, former President Joseph Estrada, with a margin of 6 million votes, while his running mate for Vice President, Senator Mar Roxas (whom they also endorsed), was defeated by Mayor, now Vice President, Jejomar Binay, proving that it was not their votes who made President Noynoy to be the president of the Philippines!
Anybody wants to know the truth? A little arithmetic will help!
Revelation 13:18
Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
Knowing how to count is wisdom!
May the eyes of Philippine politicians see the truth.
God Bless the Philippines!
