STATEMENT ON HARASSMENT OF CHURCH LEADERS AND MEMBERS VIA PERJURY CASE AND RED-TAGGING

ALL CONFERENCE MINISTERS AND THE COUNCIL OF BISHOPS

Our beloved and concerned Church members, leaders, and friends:

We know that you have probably read and heard of what seemed to be alarming news but unmasked as harassment by those sowing discord without qualms of its possible impact.

The red-tagging and defamatory article on social media issued by Sprint News and Views on the alleged perjury by your UCCP Church leaders who served from 2014-2018 is factually misleading and legally infirm.  Quite telling is that Sprint News and Views social media outfit is dubious and shady, with authorship and legitimacy suspect, and evidently serves suspicious and malicious objectives.

Everett Mendoza, Jesse Emmanuel L. Bacon II, and Cliff Fortugaleza, three disgruntled individuals who were once national leaders but have turned hostile toward the Church, have lodged a puny perjury complaint before the Mandaluyong prosecutor’s office which later filed the case with the Metropolitan Trial Court. This latest nuisance suit is another vain effort to further their persecution of Church leaders by putting the lives of bishops, church workers, and members in danger by prejudice, misrepresentation, incitement to hatred and filing of baseless charges, coupled with malicious red-tagging.

In the end, the facts, circumstances and context of the incident and document in issue which was used, albeit wrongly, as their basis for filing the perjury complaint will be explained clearly and fully in court based on the law and evidence and will vindicate the Church as a whole and the concerned members of the subject National Executive Council (NEC) in particular.  We trust that an independent and impartial tribunal will determine and establish this.

The accused Church leaders and their witnesses will henceforth directly controvert the perjury charges in court since it is already pending there and that is the proper legal forum and not in endless, counterproductive and divisive tit for tat in social media.

Meanwhile, your Bishops and Church Leaders listed as respondents and now accused to the perjury case were compelled to post bail in the Mandaluyong Metropolitan Trial Court and in other Court branches in places where they live.

We urge our Church members to thwart the destructive schemes of those who have filed the perjury case with the apparent goading of the State and its agencies and forces who are intolerant of dissent and afraid of the truth.

Pray for our Church’s leaders and members, whose lives are in danger and whose personal and family lives are ruined by reckless and ill-motivated accusations of criminal acts.

May the God of justice and love will stand up for them and protect them. In the light of this, let us be reminded of Paul’s encouragement to the Ephesian Church:

…Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Eph. 6: 10-12 NRSV).

media.

ALL CONFERENCE MINISTERS AND THE COUNCIL OF BISHOPS
31 January 2023

Bishop Melzar D. Labuntog
General Secretary

Bishop Joseph G. Agpaoa
North Luzon Jurisdictional Area

Bishop Francisco S. Aviso, Jr.
Middle Luzon Jurisdictional Area

Bishop Victor L. Paller
South Luzon Jurisdictional Area

Bishop Jerby S. Salor
East Visayas Jurisdictional Area

Bishop Feliciana P. Tenchavez
West Visayas Jurisdictional Area

Bishop Ligaya F. San Francisco
Northwest Mindanao Jurisdictional Area

Bishop Daniel R. Palicte
Southeast Mindanao Jurisdictional Area

Bishops Emeritus:
Bishop Arturo R. Asi
Bishop Jerome C. Baris
Bishop Jezer E. Bertoldo
Bishop Erme R. Camba
Bishop Ebenezer C. Camino
Bishop Constante D. Claro
Bishop Marino I. Inong
Bishop Reuel Norman O. Marigza
Bishop Roel P. Mendoza
Bishop Jaime R. Moriles
Bishop Emergencio D. Padillo
Bishop Eliezer M. Pascua
Bishop Dulce Pia-Rose
Bishop Elorde M. Sambat

Bishop Anacleto G. Serafica
Bishop Jessie S. Suarez
Bishop Rizalino Q. Taganas
Bishop Joel E. Tendero
Bishop Hamuel G. Tequis
Bishop Modesto D. Villasanta

Conference Ministers

South Luzon Jurisdictional Area (SLJA)

Rev. Migfred M. Taruc

UCC

Rev. Joel Bayot

BAC

Rev. Gener Destor

OMC

Rev. Samuel A. Erandio

SBC

Rev. Martha M. Faller

NSTC

Rev. Eleanor Dela Cruz

PAC

Rev. Joatam S. Margarata

NBC

Rev. Marco P. Aranilla

STC

Rev. Ian Loid Delos Santos

OMAC

Northwest Mindanao Jurisdictional Area (NWMJA)

Rev. Virmelito F. Tubio

LDC

Rev. Loricel Bahia

WMC

Rev. Rey Alejandro L. Lazaro

CMAC

Rev. Lovanesa C. Anabesa

DCNM

Bishop Ligaya San Francisco, OIC

BuAC

Rev. Zosimo C. Molina, Jr.

DCSZ

Rev. Robert Dua

DCNZ

Southeast Mindanao Jurisdictional Area (SEMJA)

Rev. Aldren Jovita

ADC

Rev. Amy O. Rafalez

SCSDC

Rev. Rodel H. Rivera

SMDC

Rev. Renato J. Gaňa

ACS

Rev. Belly B. Domingo

CAC

Rev. Riza Salas

SDDC

Rev. Angelico Cofreros Jr.

NDDC

Middle Luzon Jurisdictional Area (MLJA)

Rev. Fernando C. Saria

LCSMC

Rev. Rolando Laminato

NENEAC

Rev. Jefferson Santos 

WCLC

Rev. Shall P. Gapongle

CLC

Rev. Juliet S. Aguilar

UMC

Rev. Dionicio G. Sanchez

MNC

East Visayas Jurisdictional Area (EVJA)

Rev. Lotis Calva-Fiel

SWLC

Rev. Dolores P. Cabasan

NLBC

Rev. Ebenezer Inhog

MC

Rev. Ritcha Allego Luzara

NWSC

Rev. Ruben B. Bobila

SIDC

West Visayas Jurisdictional Area (WVJA)

Rev. Lope Robin

BCI

Rev. Bless Johannes Pace

CCI

Rev. Ricky Anfone

CNAC

Rev. Farrah Malahay

NNC

Rev. Winston Mariano

WVC

North Luzon Jurisdictional Area (NLJA)

Rev. Ariel D. Mendez

NLAC

Rev. Roy S. Dapeg Jr.

NHC

Rev. Lynn B. Gumallaoi

NWLC

Rev. Leojo S. Mateo

NCLC

Rev. Wilmer L. Bugtong

HC

Rev. Michael S. Dayag, Sr.

MHC

Rev. Amado W. Itas

NELC

Rev. Jorifel B. Malana

AC

Rev. Ireshlyn M. Bulusan

NAC

Please click this link for the downloadable file, Statement on Harassment of Church Leaders and Members via Perjury Case and Red-tagging

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