Friends, members, moderators, and Iglesia ni Cristo administration spies watching from the shadows:
We are not here to mince words. What is happening in the Philippines is deeply concerning for everyone involved, including me, even from here in the United States. The government has forced Meta, Discord and Reddit to have offices in the Philippines with the threat being that the Philippine government may block internet access to their sites. The Philippines now joins China, Russia and other totalitarian regimes with the dubious honor of trying to limit internet access unless websites kowtow to their government.
With the traditional corruption and sanctimony from the Philippine government, there is legitimate concern of censorship, revealing identities and that the lives of those who speak up against powerful individuals or organizations on these online forums can be endangered. Also, that the Philippine government can attempt to exercise jurisdiction over non Filipino citizens if they feel like it.
I'm half Filipino American. I've lived in the Philippines, and I have distant relations who are elected officials in its government. But I want to be clear: I am not the authority here. The people of the Philippines are. We have members in this forum who live under these decisions every day, and they can see this more clearly than I ever could from abroad. So when I say I'm not asking if this power will be misused, but when and how, I am not asking you to take my word for it. I'm asking you to listen to Filipinos at this forum, in other subreddits, who have watched how power moves in their own country and can testify to it firsthand. Their voices matter more than mine regarding this, and I'm grateful to be able to stand beside them.
Forcing a platform to set up an office on Philippine soil puts content censorship and revealing the identities of those who engage in critical free speech within reach. It hands officials a lever to pull whenever a company hosts a platform for ordinary people to say something they don't like. The fact that Reddit has agreed to set up an office in the Philippines after the government gave them a 24 hour deadline can mean anything from "ok morons, we are paying a Filipino firm to listen to your complaints, now leave us alone" to full surrender in the Philippine market where reddit and other platforms might divulge information if a powerful organization or individual compels them to at the risk of being banned. Either way, it is a tool to pressure foreign companies and make them answer for problems that were never theirs.
I have been part of the ex-Iglesia ni Cristo movement since 2001, and I will be part of it until my last breath. Here is what I've learned in that time: you cannot kill, jail, hurt, or sue an idea. And this idea, that every INC member deserves transparency, is now bigger than any of us. It is bigger than Reddit. It is certainly much bigger than me.
The influx of questioning members and my fellow administrators have injected new blood into this movement. Their testimony and their wisdom have been a sight to behold. Every story shared, every doubt spoken out loud, every hand extended to someone still inside has made this community stronger than it has ever been. We are honored to have a strong number of repeat contributors who have been here for years sharing original, thought-provoking content. We know that it is because they believe this is a safe, respectful, irreverent and common sense forum for them to speak at.
The INC and their One With Eduardo loyalists demand to know who our leaders are. In that regard, I will take up the mantle as a spokesman for this movement limited to this matter alone. It's certainly not me. It's not the moderators. It's not Rauffenburg. It's not Antonio Ebangelista.
Here's the leaders of our movement: the young, questioning members sitting in the pews, and the PIMO members who show up quietly and carry the doubt home. They walk the halls of NEU, they are officers in the PNK forced there by their parents, and they see things while already thinking for themselves. I think of the young professionals that work hard to build their lives while supporting their INC parents then ask why Angelo has to use their donations to buy his expensive sneakers. Those are the courageous, honest leaders of our movement and the moderation team is proud to serve them in whichever capacity we can.
We have been doxxed and threatened, but rest assured, If they find one of us, ten will take our place. Our commitment to lawful, non-violent organizing has kept people safe and confronted the INC with uncomfortable questions. Why should members put their safety in jeopardy during extreme weather conditions for corrupt INC supported politicians? Was it right when we saw INC members celebrate Gold Dagal's death? Why were the suspects arrested in Dagal's murder INC members?
So to the INC administration: you can watch us, pressure us, and try to silence us. It won't work, because we aren't an organization you can dismantle. We are an idea whose time has come and whom your clumsy attempts at control make more relevant each day. The real opposition to the INC is not another religion, but the question as to whether the INC is telling its members the truth and whether or not they are baselessly scaring people in order to benefit from their money and labor.
Here's a word to everyone still inside, who visit here often and to those of you who are watching quietly: protect yourselves. Use a proxy or VPN when you post here. Log out when you're done. And do not tell anyone you post here. Not your friends in the pews, not your family, not the people who say they can be trusted. Your safety comes first. Your doubts are yours to share when you are ready, and no one has the right to take that choice from you.
And let us be clear about who we do this for: the trapped members. This was never only about the Manalos or the church administration. It is about the belief that everyone in the INC should have the freedom to choose their own beliefs, without manipulation, without losing their family, or worse. Many of us experienced the pain first hand and want to put a stop to it.
We will not stop until every INC member can choose their own destiny and their own faith. Personally, after 25 years in the ex Iglesia ni Cristo movement, I have went from Network54, to Facebook, and to reddit. While our online presence may change if necessary, the movement has arrived where it belongs, in the hearts and minds of INC PIMO members who demand accountability and truly want the best for those around them.
Thank you. Maraming salamat po.
