Christianity put to a test

THE ALLEGATION of expelled Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) minister Lowell Menorca II that he was abducted and nearly killed by some policemen on orders of the religious sect seems so unbelievable.

Menorca’s tale could only happen in a fiction movie.

After reading Menorca’s tale, however, one wonders if INC is really a Christian religion since Christianity preaches boundless love and offers the other cheek to one who slaps you.

Menorca was allegedly suspected by the INC higher-ups of exposing corruption within the

church, and thus ordered his rubout.

What kind of religion would kill or create mayhem to protect its reputation?

So, the seemingly cock-and-bull story told in whispers that the INC has liquidation squads now seems believable.

The religious cult is very powerful. It has members in the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government.

The most favored positions of INC members aiming for a career in government are as judges of regional trial courts, justices of the Court of Appeals and high level jobs at the Bureau of Customs and the Philippine National Police.

Many policemen and soldiers, some holding top positions, are members of the religious cult.

The INC is so influential it reportedly dictates that the top officials of the Quezon City Police District, especially its chief, should be members of the cult or its supporters.

Many judges and justices in the country should have been rejected by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) when they were applying for their lofty positions for being incompetent or corrupt.

Many wonder how Olongapo City Judge Jose Bautista Jr. got past the JBC’s tough screening process.

Bautista has dillydallied in issuing a not-guilty verdict on an accused, Norwegian Torgeir Hoverstad, who has been proved innocent.

Bautista heard the confession and retraction in open court of a girl who was supposedly a victim of human trafficking and child abuse.

Bothered by her conscience, the 17-year-old girl (she was 15 years old when the crime supposedly took place) said the charges against Hoverstad were all fabricated by a syndicate that employed her.

Despite the girl’s confession and retraction, Bautista continues to pussyfoot on the case of the Norwegian who appears to be the victim of a frame-up.

The girl’s mother told police investigators she was aware of the trumped-up charges against Hoverstad because her daughter told her the foreigner has been set up.

With the girl’s retraction in open court and her mother’s statement to the police, why can’t Hoverstad be given back his freedom?

I hope that the Supreme Court reads this item and intervenes for the Norwegian’s release.

Let it not be said that our judicial system is screwed up.