IN DEFENSE OF
BROTHER FELIX Y. MANALO:
“Did Brother Felix Y. Manalo Raped Rosita
Trillanes?”
By Dave
Lawrence Michaels, Ph.D.
I am Dave Lawrence Michaels, a history
professor. When I was attending the Bible Studies for those being prepared for
baptism in the Church of Christ, a friend of mine approach me and told me many
negative things about Brother Felix Y. Manalo to discourage me in entering the
Iglesia Ni Cristo. He said, “browse the internet and you will find the truth
about Felix Manalo.” So, I did. I was shock about many things published in the
internet against Brother Felix Y. Manalo, and I admit, it discouraged me to
continue attending the Bible Studies of this Church. However, I managed to talk
to a minister of the Church of Christ, a Church historian, a fellow historiographer.
He showed me concrete evidences refuting those many accusations and allegations
against Brother Felix Y. Manalo. Thank God for that. Today, I am an active
member of the Iglesia Ni Cristo, and very much active in sharing my faith.
Actually, this article is based on the research the minister I mentioned above
who became a good friend of mine. Please read it with an open mind.
ATTACKING THE CHARACTER of a person is an act
of desperation, because this shows that they cannot refute his teachings that’s
why they resort to attacking the person instead of the teachings or doctrines
he is preaching. This fallacy is called “argumentum ad hominem.” Yes, it’s an
act of desperation and truly a fallacy. However, this is what the detractors of
Brother Felix Y. Manalo and the detractors of the Iglesia ni Cristo are doing.
What exposed their real intention is the fact
that although they have no concrete evidences, just baseless accusations and
allegations, however, they will still use it, publish it, spread it. Many
times, concrete evidences were already shown to refute their allegations, but
they intentionally and totally ignored them and will continue to spread their
baseless allegations and accusations because their intention is not to expose
the truth, but to impose a negative impression on the person being attack
(“manira lamang”). Thus, it is not surprising that after their allegations were
proven false or refuted, they will invent more and more lies against the person
they attack.
This is indeed what they are doing against
Brother Felix Y. Manalo and the Iglesia Ni Cristo.
LIBEL CASE
AND NOT RAPE CASE
In 1939, Reymundo Mansilungan, Cirilo
Gonzales and Teodoro Briones were expelled from the Church. One former employee
of the Central Office who was also expelled from the Church, named Rosita
Trillanes, was convinced by Mansilungan, Gonzales and Briones to sign a letter
saying that she was raped by Brother Felix Y. Manalo. The three promised her
that the letter will only be shown to the members of the Church as an act
vengeance against Brother Felix Y. Manalo for expelling them from the Church. (Trillanes’ Affidavit, 7 November 1952)
Reymundo Mansilungan and Cirilo Gonzales were
former ministers of the Church. Teodoro Briones was a lay member, but he worked
at the PASUGO magazine. The three were expelled because of the anomalies they
committed. Reymundo Mansilungan was the brother-in-law of Rosita’s boyfriend.
Mansilungan rushed the marriage of Rosita to his brother-in-law. Immediately
after the wedding, Mansilungan shown to Rosita a letter and asked her to sign
it, promising that it will only be shown to members of the Church. Rosita signed
the letter. (Trillanes’ Affidavit, 7
November 1952)
Please Take Note: When they made the “letter”
they were no longer with the Iglesia Ni Cristo, they were already been expelled
from the Church. Thus, their “motive” in making such “letter” is really very
questionable. If they were still members of the Church when that “letter” was
made, or they were not expelled because of anomalies they committed, this
“letter” may be found credible. However, because the letter was made by those
expelled from the Church, that they lose not only their membership of the
Church, but also their position and the “privileges” they enjoined (Reymundo
Mansilungan was a former minister, Cirilo Gonzales was the former General
Secretary of the Church, Teoforo Briones was a former editor of the PASUGO, and
Rosita was a former clerk in the Central office), thus the credibility and
truthfulness of the letter is truly questionable.
The “letter” was indeed shown to members of
the Church, but they did not gain support from any members of the Iglesia Ni
Cristo. No members and officers of the Church was convince that the content of
the letter is true. Because they knew the “background” of those who made the
letters, they knew that the real “motive” behind that “letter” was to make
vengeance against Brother Felix Y. Manalo for expelling them from the Church.
Gaining no adherents or supporters from
members of the Church, the “letter” was published in a local newspaper in
Pampanga named “Ing Cawal.” Because of this, Brother Felix Y. Manalo filed a
libel case against Rosita Trillanes, the editor of the local newspaper,
Reymundo Mansilungan, Cirilo Gonzales and Teodoro Briones.
Please Take Note: It was a libel case and not
a rape case. It was Brother Felix Y. Manalo who filed a libel case against
Rosita Trillanes and company, and not Rosita filling a rape case againt Brother
Felix Y. Manalo. Thus, it’s a lie what INC detractors spreading that Brother
Felix Y. Manalo was charged with a rape case. INC detractors knew the fact that
it was Brother Felix Y. Manalo that filed a libel case aginst Rosita and
company, however, they ignored the truth in order to impose a negative image
against Brother Felix Y. Manalo.
Others asked why Brother Felix Y. Manalo
filed a libel case against Rosita, Mansilungan and others? Because they were no
longer members of the Church. Filing a libel case against them is the most
legal, civil and proper thing to do. Brother Felix Y. Manalo did not attack
them from the pulpit, nor publish or circulate the reasons why they were
expelled from the Church.
Please Take Note: This indeed contradicts the
image they are imposing against Brother Felix Y. Manalo that he abused his
authority, and an arrogant and uncivil person. Brother Manalo did not went down
to their level, but instead shown his civility and integrity through taking the
case to the proper forum, to a court of justice.
THOSE
CONVICTED WERE ROSITA AND COMPANY AND NOT
BROTHER FELIX Y. MANALO
Eventually, the lower court decided in favor
of Brother Felix Y. Manalo, and Rosita, Mansilungan and others were convicted.
The decision of the lower court in favor of the Brother Felix Y. Manalo was
published in January 0f 1941 by Taliba, a national newspaper of that time (I
don’t know if Taliba is still in circulation even up to this time).
Although they knew this fact that Brother
Felix Y. Manalo was the one that filed a libel case against Rosita Trillanes
and company, and it were Rosita, Mansilungan and others who were convicted by
the lower court, however, the INC
detractors continue to spread and insist that it was Brother Felix Y. Manalo
who was convicted by the court of law. A BIG LIE INDEED.
Please Take Note: Brother Felix Y. Manalo was
not convicted, not even charged of any crime. The INC detractors were
challenged for many times to shown concrete evidences (court documents) that
Brother Felix Y. Manalo was convicted or even charged of any crime. The INC
detractors intentionally and totally ignored the truth that they don’t have
such evidence, but they continue spreading the lies that Brother Felix Y.
Manalo was convicted of a crime, convicted of raped.
ON THE
DECISION OF THE COURT OF APPEAL
Afraid of being imprisoned, Rosita and
company filed an appeal. They asked the Court of Appeal to reverse the decision
of the lower court. The Court of Appeal did so and the decision was published
in Philippine Gazette (the official newspaper of the Philippine government) on
July of 1942.
What? July of 1942? Was that the year when
the Philippines was under the Japanese Imperial forces? Yes, it was! The
Pacific War of World War II started when the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor on
December of 1941. Then they invaded the Philippines which then was a colony of
the United States of America. The Japanese already occupied Manila and
established a Japanese regime on January of 1942. The January 1942 edition of
the Philippine Gazette published the Order No. 1 of the Japanese Military
Administration in the Philippines (a proclamation of the commander-in-chief of
the Japanese forces in the Philippines dated 23rd of January, 1942. The
following is the statement of the proclamation of the commander-in-chief of the
Imperial Japanese Forces in the Philippines regarding the judicial courts and
the judicial system in the Philippines:
ORDER No. 1
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMISSIONS AND CREATION OF
SIX DEPARTMENTS
"…3. The Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Japanese
Forces shall exercise jurisdiction over judicial courts.
"4. A 'Commissioner' for each department constituting
the central organization shall be appointed on [the Chairman's] recommendation
by the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Japanese Forces.
"As regards the appointments of other important
officials...you [the Chairman] shall have an approval of the Commander-in-Chief
of the Imperial Japanese Forces.
"...COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE IMPERIAL JAPANESE FORCES
IN THE PHILIPPINES January 23d, 1942 (the 17th year of Showa)."
Thus, during the Japanese occupation of the
Philippines, the judicial courts of the Philippines were under the jurisdiction
of the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Japanese Forces in the Philippines.
What will happen to the Filipinos, even to
high ranking officials of the Philippine government (including officials of the
judicial system) if they will not follow the will of the Japanese forces? The
patriotic Jose Abad Santos, the chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the
Philippines then, was executed by the Japanese on May 2, 1942 (Aquino, 1985:215).
Please Take Note: On JANUARY OF 1942, the
Japanese commander-in-chief declared that judicial courts in the Philippines were under his jurisdiction. On
MAY OF 1942, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, Jose
Abad Santos, were executed by the Japanese. Then on JULY OF 1942, the Court of
Appeal reversed the decision of the lower court (Court of First Instance of
Manila) regarding the libel case filed by Brother Felix Y. Manalo against
Rosita Trillanes and company, and even went further in calling Brother Manalo
“a man of low morals.”
BROTHER
MANALO’S CONFLICT WITH THE JAPANESE
The Japanese knew that to win the war they
must win the support of the Filipino people, and they want to accomplish these
through religion. Even before they came to the country, they already made plans
to use religions in the Philippine to win the heart of the Filipinos. Thus,
immediately after they occupied Manila, they attempted to established a
federation of churches in the Philippines so that they could easily control all
churches in the country and use them to win the support of the Filipinos.
The Japanese want Brother Felix Y. Manalo to
lead this federation of churches they established. However, Brother Felix Y.
Manalo refused. Hence, he was arrested several times and harassed by the
Japanese. They even forced Brother Felix Y. Manalo to step down as Executive
Minister of the Iglesia Ni Cristo. But, they saw the loyalty of the Iglesia Ni
Cristo members to Brother Felix Y. Manalo. So, executing him will not do them
any good, instead, this may further arose the hatred against the Japanese.
Thus, they made actions to destroy the integrity of the Brother Felix Y. Manalo
so members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo and even other people will no longer
support him. Consequently, they found out that there was a pending libel case
in the Court of Appeal that Brother Felix Y. Manalo filed against Rosita
Trillanes and company.
Coincidentally, on July of 1942, this was
what the Court of Appeal said against Brother Felix Y. Manalo:
"... the Prosecution admits that there is reason to
believe that the offended party, Manalo, did commit immoral acts with some
women members of the Iglesia."
And the Court of Appeal also said these
against Brother Felix Y. Manalo:
"And the Solicitor concludes that he found out through
proofs presented that Manalo is a man "de baja moral" (man of low
moral) and that he took advantage of his position in the Iglesia to attack and
sully the virtue of some of his female followers."
Please Take Note: This is a statement of the
Court of Appeal against Brother Felix Y. Manalo published on July of 1942, when
the judicial courts of the Philippines were under the jurisdiction of the
commander-in-chief of the Imperial Japanese Forces in the Philippines, two
months after the Japanese executed the Chief Justice of the Philippines for not
following their will, and after Brother Felix Y. Manalo had a conflict against
the Japanese.
THE JUDICIAL
PROCEEDINGS AND DECISIONS BY THE PHILIPPINE
JUDICIAL COURTS DURING THE JAPANESE OCCUPATION
WERE QUESTIONED
The validity and credibility of the judicial
proceedings and decisions of the Philippine judicial courts under the Japanese
regime were questioned.
One of the basis in questioning the validity
of the judicial proceedings and decisions of the judicial courts during the
Japanese occupation of the Philippines was the proclamation of General Douglas
McArthur dated October 23, 1944, a few days after the historic landing in
Leyte. McArthur’s proclamation declared that:
“…3. That all laws, regulations and processes of any other
government in the Philippines than that of the said Commonwealth are null and
void and without legal effect in areas of the Philippines free of enemy
occupation and control.” (GR L-5, 17 September 1945)
What further add insult to injury was when
the Commonwealth government was re-established in 1945, President Osmena issued
the Executive Order no. 37 which provides that:
“… (1) that the Court of Appeals created and established
under Commonwealth Act No. 3 as amended, be abolished, as it is hereby
abolished," and "(2) that all cases which have heretofore been duly
appealed to the Court of Appeals shall be transmitted to the Supreme Court for
final decision. . . ."
The decision of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
on 17 September 1945 (Co Kim Chan vs Valdez Tan Keh), established only the
validity of the judicial proceedings during the Japanese occupation of the
Philippines, but the “credility” is still in question. Dessenting, Justice J.
Hilado stated the following:
“The courts created here by the Japanese government had to
look for the source of their supposed authority to the orders of the Japanese
Military Commander in chief and the so-called Constitution of the
"Republic of the Philippines," which had been adopted in a manner
which would shock the conscience of democratic peoples, and which was designed
to supplant the Constitution which had been duly adopted by the Filipino people
in a Constitutional Convention of their duly elected Constitutional Delegates.
And it was decreed that the Commander in chief of the Imperial Japanese Forces
"shall exercise jurisdiction over judicial courts." (Vol. 1, p. 7,
Official Journal of the Japanese Military Administration, cited on pp. 2, 3, of
the order of the respondent judge complained of and marked Exhibit H of the
petition for mandamus.) How can our present courts legitimately recognize any
efficacy in the proceedings of such an exotic judicial system, wherein the
Commander in Chief of the Imperial Japanese Forces possessed the highest
judicial jurisdiction?” (GR L-5, 17 September 1945)
Justice Hilado clearly points out that during
the Japanese occupation of the Philippine “the Commander in Chief of the
Imperial Japanese Forces possessed the highest judicial jurisdiction. Regarding
the credibility and integrity of the judicial processes of the
Japanese-sponsored judicial courts, this is what he said:
And yet, I am firmly of opinion that whoever
was the "judge" of the Japanese sponsored Court of First Instance of
Manila who presided over the said court when the proceedings and processes in
the dispute were had, in acting by virtue of the supposed authority which he
was supposed to have received from that government, did so with no more legal
power than if he had acted as a mere lawyer applying the same laws to the case.
If duplication of work or effort, or even if confussion, should be alleged to
possibly arise from a declaration of nullity or judicial proceedings had before
those Japanese-sponsored courts, it should suffice to answer that the party so
complaining in voluntarily resorting to such courts should be prepared to
assume the consequences of his voluntary act. On the other hand, his
convenience should not be allowed to visit upon the majority of the inhabitants
of this country, the dire consequences of a sweeping and wholesale validation
of judicial proceedings in those courts. Let us set forth a few considerations
apropos of this assertion. It is a fact of general knowledge that during the
Japanese occupation of the Philippines, the overwhelming majority of our people
and other resident inhabitants were literally afraid to go any place where
there were Japanese sentries, soldiers or even civilians, and that these
sentries were posted at the entrance into cities and towns and at government
offices; that the feared Japanese "M. P.'s" or Kempeitai's" were
a constant terror to them; and lastly, that the greater number who lived or had
evacuated to places for from the Japanese, were found precisely in the cities and
towns where the courts were located; and as a consequence, the great majority
of the people were very strongly adverse to traveling any considerable distance
from their homes and were, one might say, in constant hiding. Add to these
circumstances, the fact of the practical absence of transportation facilities
and the no less important fact of the economic structure having been so
dislocated as to have impoverished the many in exchange for the enrichment of
the few — and we shall have a fair picture of the practical difficulties which
the ordinary litigant would in those days have encountered in defending his
rights against anyone of the favored few who would bring him to court. It
should be easy to realize how hard it was for instances, to procure the attendance
of witnesses, principally because of the fact that most of them were in hiding
or, at least, afraid to enter the cities and towns, and also because of then
generally difficult and abnormal conditions prevailing. Under such conditions,
cases or denial of a party's day in court expected. Such denial might arise
from many a cause. It might be party's fear to appear before the court because
in doing so, he would have had to get near the feared Japanese. It might be
because he did not recognize any legal authority in that court, or it might be
his down-right repugnance of the hated enemy. And I dare say that among such
people would be found more than seventeen million Filipinos. These are but a
few of countless cause. So that if some form of validation of such judicial
proceedings were to be attempted, all necessary safeguards should be provided
to avoid that in any particular case the validation should violate any
litigant's constitutional right to his day in court, within the full meaning of
the phrase, or any other constitutional or statutory right of his. More people,
I am afraid, would be prejudiced than would be benefited by a wholesale
validation of said proceedings.” (GR L-5, 17 September 1945)
Pioneer ministers narrated that Brother Felix
Y. Manalo never attended any court hearings during that period. Thus, they were
all surprised when the Court of Appeal already has a decision on the libel case
he filed against Rosita Trillanes and company and it was even published on the
Philippine Gazette on July, 1914. Thus, although the decision of the Court of
Appeal reversing the decision of the lower court and even calling Brother Felix
Y. Manalo a “man of low morals” was published and circulated nationwide, it had
no any impact on the members and non-members alike. People of that time believe
that the lower court’s decision in favor with Brother Felix Y. Manalo is more
credible that the decision of the Japanese-sponsored Court of Appeal reversing
the lower court’s decision and calling Brother Manalo a “man of low morals.”
BROTHER
FELIX Y. MANALO DID NOT MADE ANY APPEAL
TO THE SUPREME COURT
Even after the Japanese occupation, Brother
Felix Y. Manalo did not made any appeal to the Supreme Court. When he was asked
why, he compassionately answered, “I pity Rosita. The truth is, she was only
used by those who want to destroy the Church. Let us not allow it that she go
to prison. Besides, no one believes in their lies.” True, no one joined this
group that made the “letter” that they made Rosita signed.
Rosita herself narrated that after the war,
when the Philippine Republic was re-established, she was deeply worried that
Brother Felix Y. Manalo made an appeal to the Supreme Court and afterwards be
convicted and imprisoned. She waited if Brother Manalo will make an appeal to
the Supreme Court. After a while, she learned what Brother Manalo said why he
did not bring the libel case against her to the Supreme court. Upon knowing it,
she cried.
Please Take Note: During that time, the
Iglesia Ni Cristo was only a small religious organization having congregations
only in Luzon. The Church was just starting to establish missions in Southern
Philippines. The Iglesia Ni Cristo then was not as large, influential and
powerful as today.
(1) The “letter” signed by Rosita stated that
Brother Felix Y. Manalo raped and abused many woman. However, when the “letter”
was published and made known to the public, no “other victims” emerged.
(2) When the Japanese harassed and persecuted
Brother Felix Y. Manalo, that the Japanese even asked Brother Manalo to step
down as Executive Minister of the Iglesia Ni Cristo, still no “other victims”
emerged.
(3) When the Japanese-sponsored Court of Appeal
decided against Brother Felix Y. Manalo and even went further in calling
Brother Felix Y. Manalo as a “man of low morals,” still, no “other victims”
emerged. And that’s very surprising. The decision of the Court of Appeal said
that Brother Manalo abused and raped many woman, but no other witnesses, no
“other victims” emerged.
ROSITA AND
HER FAMILY WENT BACK TO THE FOLD
Rosita further narrated that after learning
what Brother Felix Y. Manalo said about why he did not brought the case to the
Supreme Court, she and her family wanted to go Brother Manalo and asked for
forgiveness. But they were to ashamed to do it.
After a few years, in 1952, with her husband,
they managed to gain some strength to go to Brother Felix Y. Manalo and ask for
forgiveness. She said, when Brother Felix appeared in the office, she could not
raised her face and look at Brother Manalo straight in the eye. Then she burst
in tears. Then Brother Manalo said to him, “The Bible taught us to forgive
others as how God forgive us.” Rosita and her husband embraced Brother Manalo.
Rosita further said that she was not asked to
make an affidavit, she voluntarily asked a lawyer to help her make an affidavit
of retraction. Rosita’s retraction was dated November 7, 1952.
Thus, after more than a decade, she retracted
and went back to the fold with her family. Rosita became a deaconess and died
an active member of the Iglesia Ni Cristo.
Please Take Note:
(1)
From 1942-1952, the Iglesia Ni Cristo have established additional 18
ecclesiastical districts nationwide; her membership tripled; and have already
build large concrete houses of worship. So, the “letter” signed by Rosita
Trillanes did not made any impact against the spread of the Church. Thus, it is
wrong to say that the Church did everything they could to make Rosita retract
the “letter” she signed. If the Church continued to grow and spread nationwide,
that the “letter” signed by Rosita has no any impact against the expansion of
the Church, so the Church doesn’t need Rosita’s retraction.
(2)
It is also wrong to say that the Church did everything to make Rosita
retract because the “letter” might came out of the public. The “letter” already
did came out of the public. It was published in a local newspaper in 1939; the
libel case was a headline in 1941 in a national newspaper; and the Official
Gazette published in 1942 the decision of the Court of Appeal against Brother
Felix Y. Manalo. But why the Church continued to grow inspite of this
"letter"? Because many people of that time ere not convinced that the
"letter" was true.
(3)
If Rosita was really raped by Brother Felix Y. Manalo, would she and her
family (especially her husband) will come back to the Church where the leader
raped her (his wife in the case of his husband, and their mother in the case of
her children)?
Did Rosita Trillanes went back to the fold
because she was given privileges like being a deaconess? And others asked why
she was made a deaconess if she was an usurper? Rosita was made a deaconess not
immediately after she went back to the fold but in the 1960s, or almost a
decade after she went back to the Church, after many years that she has proven
that she already changed her ways.
THE CATHOLIC
DEFENDERS IN 1950's
Not knowing that Rosita Trillanes already
went back to the fold and even made an affidavit retracting the “letter” she signed
in 1939, many Catholic publications published “Rosita’s 1939 letter.” They even
titled their headlines, “Angel or Maniac,” “Ganid sa Laman,” “A Rapist Sugo,”
and others. They thought that they already found a “smoking gun” against
Brother Felix Y. Manalo. However, their “gun” backfired against them. Tney were
surprised when they learned that Rosita and her family were again members of
the Iglesia Ni Cristo and that she already made an affidavit retracting the
“letter” that she signed in 1939. As history tells us, again, the INC
detractors failed in their attempt to destroy the mission of the Church of
Christ. The Church continued to grow, spread not only nationwide, but
worldwide.
THIS ISSUE TODAY
Today, INC detractors using again this issue
and spreading this “lies” to destroy the Iglesia Ni Cristo, but as how the
group of Mansilungan in 1939 failed, the Japanese in 1942 failed, the Catholic
Defenders in 1950s failed, surely these groups will also fail. This is what the
Bible tells us about them:
“A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who utters
lies will perish. (Proverbs 19:9 RSV)
a Filipino
version of this article soon…
